An Unusual Princess
by nobodD
Summary: Kousaka Honoka is a princess with an extraordinary gift. Of course in a land of magic, monsters, and advanced technology, she is far from safe. But when a mercenary contract goes wrong, she'll find herself pulled into an adventure she never would have dreamed of. Adventure/Romance AU, starring KotoHono as main pairing.
1. Character Bios (2015-08-12)

***Disclaimer: I do NOT own Love Live!**

* * *

**Table of Contents  
**\- Main Characters  
\- The Kousaka Family and Personal Maids  
\- Supporting Characters  
\- The Minami Family

\- Locations

* * *

**Updates**

**2015-08-12: Initial version  
**\- Main 10 characters  
\- Initial character descriptions (The info that is normally released before the beginning of the story)  
\- Rough outline for Table of Contents

* * *

**Main Characters**

**Kousaka Honoka  
****Age: 18  
**Eldest of two daughters, Honoka is a princess with an extraordinary magical gift that she isn't even aware of. She has all of the qualities you would expect of a princess, yet she also knows when she isn't required to act like royalty. She has grown tired of her daily routine, and craves for something fun and excited.

Honoka is a mixed fighter, meaning she's able to use her weapon to fight as well as cast offensive spells. Her weapon/channeling item is a rapier. She has a high attunement to the light element.

**Minami Kotori  
****Age: 21  
**The younger of two siblings, Kotori is very different from her older brother. While he's following their mother's example, Kotori resents her life as a dark mage. Her differences with her mother eventually gets her sent on a mission with her brother. Their mission? Capture the first princess of Izolle, Kousaka Honoka.

Like Honoka, Kotori is a mixed fighter. Her weapon/channeling item is a sword. She has a high attunement to the dark element.

**Yuki Maria  
****Age: 18  
**Honoka's personal maid, the two have known each other for practically their whole lives. They're extremely close because of this, to the point where they're often able to anticipate the other's thoughts. Their bond goes beyond master/maid, though Maria will still address Honoka formally. Maria is a prodigy, and prides herself in her skill and ability to protect Honoka.

Maria is a ranged specialist. Her weapon is a magic revolver, though she also uses spell cards which contain various effects.

**Nishikino Maki  
****Age: 15  
**While most mages from Arcadia were into functional magic, Maki set herself apart by being Arcadia's first and only mage to study offensive magic. Due to her high magic potential, she was seen as a prodigy by the other mages until she chose a different route from them. Maki often found herself in a nearby forest to practice her magic, as there was no good place in Arcadia for it.

Maki is an elemental mage. Her channeling item is a scroll. Because of the time she spent in the woods, she has a high attunement to the natural elements of fire, water, earth, and wind.

**Hoshizora Rin  
****Age: 19  
**Although she wasn't born a noble, a chance encounter granted Rin the opportunity to become a knight. And while she did pass all the tests and training exercises, Rin's true skill was in her incredible speed. Rather than becoming a regular knight, Rin was given the special opportunity to become a Cygnus Knight, which is the King's royal guard.

Rin is a disruptor. Her main weapons are her two daggers, though she also uses a variety of self-made tools in combination with her speed to confuse her enemies and give her the advantage.

**Koizumi Hanayo  
****Age: 16  
**A simple traveler, Hanayo wanders Izolle looking for anyone in need of help. She's a very skilled healer because of all her travels, and has even come up with a few spells of her own after using others so often.

Hanayo is a support mage, focusing on defensive spells like barriers, healing, and strengthening herself and her allies. Her channeling item in its travel form is a wand, but extends to become a staff in its extended form. Hanayo has a high attunement to holy magic.

**Ayase Eli  
****Age: 24  
**Although the Cygnus Knights don't have a captain, Eli's leadership skills have earned her the unofficial title from her peers. Even the King thinks of her as the captain, and often goes to Eli first for any important business.

Eli is a melee fighter. Her weapon is a scythe that can shrink into a more compact form for travel.

**Yazawa Nico  
****Age: 21  
**The oldest of four, Nico is always looking out for her younger siblings. She's willing to go to whatever lengths necessary to protect them, as well as give them better life opportunities.

Nico is an enchanted gunner. Her weapon is dual pistols, which she enchants with magic to give them different elemental properties, as well as remove the need for bullets.

**Sonoda Umi  
****Age: 22  
**Umi enjoys traveling. She frequently rides the boat between Izolle and her homeland of Telos Astue as a result. She's been in both port towns so much that the boat captains don't require her to have a ticket, and even let her hunt for fish during the trips.

Umi is an enchanted archer. Her weapon is a bow, and similar to Nico, she can enchant her arrows, as well as use magic instead of regular arrows.

**Toujou Nozomi  
****Age: 24  
**Nozomi was born in Strahta, though she had eventually grown bored of her home. When she was old enough she set off by boat to start exploring the world.

Nozomi is a beast tamer. Her weapon is a spear. Her companion is Mimi, a shapeshifter whose original form is only know to Nozomi.


	2. The Royal Family (Conversion Arc begins)

***Disclaimer: I do NOT own Love Live!**

* * *

Clear blue skies, bright shining sun. A gentle breeze ruffling the countless blades of grass across the land, as well as the leaves resting upon the trees. A scene like this was usually the sign of another promising day to come.

However there was someone who didn't enjoy this scenery. For this individual, the scene was one she was all too familiar with. It was a sight she was forced to view for days and days on end. It wasn't that she didn't like the weather, because she enjoyed it sometime before. However the sight now brought on an all-too-familiar feeling, something that she really did hate.

"I'm... so... bored."

With a heavy sigh, the girl sitting by the window closed the book in her hands. She had been reading it for the last few hours, while the sky had still been dark. Although reading wasn't the proper word to use. She has read the book before, about twenty times or so since the last time she kept track. It was one of the only books from her shelves that she still somewhat enjoyed, although even this book was beginning to lose her interest as well. But in terms of picking a book to blankly stare at the pages in order to pass time, this was one of her top choices.

The young girl stood up from her table, holding the book against her chest. She took one last glance outside the window before she walked away. She made her way to the bookshelf that inhabited her big room. Though once she reached it, she frowned.

Because her room was big, some of her furniture were of similar size compared to what normal people would have. This bookshelf was no exception, boasting 10 shelves worth of books. The book she had in her arms belonged on the second highest shelf. While she was perfectly capable of using the ladder that rested against the bookshelf herself, she was constantly advised not to do so.

Given the time of day it was, and how slow the morning has been so far, she guessed that it wouldn't be a problem this time. She placed her foot on the first step of the ladder. Of course, the door to her room opened the moment she did. Another young girl peeked inside.

"Honoka-sama, what are you doing?" the newcomer asked.

"I just wanted to put this book back on the shelf," Honoka answered, meeting the maid's gaze.

"You know how everyone feels about things like this though."

"I know... But it's not like I can't do a little thing like this on my own."

"I know, but you have to remember that you're a princess, Honoka-sama. Your family has the maid staff for a reason. You have to let us do our jobs."

Honoka sighed. "I know... I'm sorry."

The maid walked up to Honoka and Honoka handed her the book. She watched as the maid climbed the ladder and placed the book back onto high shelf.

"Thank you," Honoka said as the maid climbed off the ladder

"My pleasure," the maid responded, curtsying. "If you would like, I could keep you company until your lessons."

"Are you sure? You don't have anything you need to do?"

The maid nodded. "I am your personal maid after all. Your needs are always my top priority."

"You would think I would be used to that idea after hearing you say that since we were kids."

"Well you never were a selfish person."

"I suppose." Honoka smiled. "Well then, I would like you to keep me company for the day."

"As you wish, Honoka-sama."

* * *

"Otou-sama, can I ask a question?"

"What is it, Yukiho?"

"Why do I have to learn these things?"

"It's important for successors to the crown to learn how to run the country."

"But Onee-sama will succeed you first."

"It doesn't matter. It's important for _all_ successors to be taught. Should a national emergency arise and something happen to us or your sister, you must be the one to lead in our place."

"I guess that makes sense... I just wish it wasn't so boring."

"I know it isn't fun for a young girl to learn about politics and military tactics. But I had to start learning from my parents at your age, and your sister did as well. It's simply tradition."

"Okay..." She typed another line in before pausing as a thought occurred to her. She turned and wrapped her arms around her father." Otou-sama, please don't let anything bad happen to our family."

A smile touched his face. He wrapped an arm around his daughter and held her tightly. "I'll protect you all as best as I can."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

"Excuse me, Kousaka-sama?" another voice came.

He looked up at the newcomer, right away recognizing who she was. She was wearing a different uniform from the other maids and even from the family's personal maids.

"What is it?" He asked the chief maid.

She held up a folded piece of paper. "This letter just came in."

His eyes widened slightly, recognizing the seal on the letter. He nodded, signaling that the maid could approach. She walked forward to the end of the table opposite of them, placing the letter close to the center

Yukiho watched as her father carefully opened the letter and read its contents. After he finished reading, he sighed.

"And here I was thinking this was something important." He stood up, then looked to Yukiho. "Sorry sweetie, I have to prepare to meet with someone. But-"

"But I still have to continue with this?" Yukiho asked.

He nodded. "It won't be for much longer, so just endure it."

Yukiho watched as her father walked away and left the room. One of the maids standing by, her father's personal maid, came up and took his seat. Yukiho sighed as she got back to work.

_I wonder what Onee-sama is doing right now_, she thought.

* * *

In another part of the castle, a room held almost completely still. The only sound that could be heard was a low humming. Gradually, the humming got louder. And louder. And louder still. Once it could easily heard, a light starting shining. It was a pale light, but like the volume of the humming, the light's intensity slowly grew. On the ground, shining in the same white light, was a circle. As the humming and glowing continued, a crest drew itself within the circle.

One girl stood in the center of it all. Her focus was toward the wall several meters in front of her, lined with targets. Without taking her eyes off the center-most target, she spoke the last phrase and lifted the rapier in her hand in a fluid motion. The glowing symbols below her flashed brightly as her spell came to life. Several lights shaped like swords appeared around her, suspended in mid-air. With a downward swipe of her rapier, those blades of light flew forward, and had pierced their targets within the next second.

Honoka could only frown as she looked at the results of her spell. While most of the 30 light projectiles she casted hit any of the 5 targets, only 3 of them hit close to the center of a target. She turned away from the targets to look at the only three other people in the large training room. One was her maid, who had a nervous smile on her face. The other was another maid, belonging to the third person who Honoka was mainly looking at.

"Okaa-sama, let me try again," Honoka said to the older woman.

Her mother shook her head. "I think that's enough for today, sweetie."

"But I can't finish like this. I have to do better."

"While I admire your determination, you need to learn when to take a break."

"But-"

"Honoka," her mother cut her off. "Tell me, you feel disappointed with that last spell, correct?"

"Of course I do!"

"And you're still feeling that disappointment, right?"

"Well, yes, but-"

"So if I let you go again, and you were still feeling disappointment, don't you think that would affect your next spell? And the next spell after that and so on?"

Honoka thought about her mother's words for a minute. "... You're right. Sorry."

"However..." Her mother stepped forward, unsheathing her own rapier. "I'll give you another chance if you can beat me in a duel."

"Eh? But I thought you wanted me to take a break?"

"I only explained why you should take a break. But you still don't want to take a break, do you?"

Honoka smiled. "You're completely right, once again."

"Of course. Now, let's begin."

Honoka's maid sat and watched with her own smile as mother and daughter fought in a friendly duel. Between blade strikes and spell casts, the maid couldn't help but describe the scene as some kind of dance. A dance with a lot of lights.

The duel only lasted a few minutes. After the thrilling conclusion, the mother sat back down on the bench with the two maids. She noted the smile on Honoka's maid's face.

"Something on your mind?" the mother asked.

"You let her win, didn't you?" Honoka's maid asked.

The mother kept her eyes focused on her daughter, but she showed a smile.

"Of course I did."

"And the reason for that?"

"There was no way she would quietly sit down and take a break even if she lost. She's my daughter, after all. Quitting is never an option."

"And considering her mental state earlier, you gave her a bit of a confidence boost?"

The mother only nodded and continued watching Honoka as she resumed practice. The maid turned her attention back to her master as well.

"She's going to become a great mage as well."

"That's not true," the mother said. "She'll become one of the greatest mages ever. We just need to find a way for her to control all her power."

"Right... The extra power."

"So, how does it feel to be The Chosen's personal maid?" The mother's maid asked playfully.

"Not all that different until I'm reminded of the fact."

There were several piercing sounds that came from the other end of the room. The maid's turned from each other to look down at the targets again. Honoka's maid smiled.

"30 perfect shots."

* * *

Meanwhile in the capital city's upper quarter, a cloaked figure sat atop one of the residential buildings. He had a clear view of the castle that rested in the center of the city. He was also out of sight of the citizens, which was good for him. He wasn't from around here, and the less attention he brought to himself, the better.

The cloaked man heard the soft taps of a pair of shoes landing on the rooftop. He turned briefly to see who it was. Once he recognized the other cloaked figure, he turned back to the castle.

"Well?" He asked the newcomer.

"Our intelligence was correct," the second figure, a female, answered.

"Then the passage is secured?"

"Yes. We can infiltrate the castle at night, when they change the guards."

"Excellent."

"Well, if that is all." The girl turned to leave.

"Hmm? Where are you going?"

"Back into town," she answered, unfastening her cloak and packing it neatly into her bag. "There was something interesting I saw during recon, and I want to have another look."

"Something interesting?"

"Just some jewelry."

He gave her on last look before turning away to the castle again. "Well, just don't go spending the rest of our money. We still need everything we can get until this contract is done."

"You don't have to worry about me. I'm used to window shopping by now."

"Don't get caught, then."

"Who do you think I am?" she asked sarcastically before jumping off the roof.

Ignoring the remark, he allowed himself one last glance at the castle before he looked away, pulling out a letter from his pocket. It was the contract, and while it had a lot of minor details, the most important one was near the top.

_Capture the Princess, Alive._

* * *

**Hey guys, nobodD here!**

**Alright well *claps hands* here goes my first attempt at AU. Well, it may be. As always with my stories, this first chapter is for me to see if you guys are interested in the story continuing. SO! Let me know in the reviews. **

**Something to think about, the only named characters are the Kousaka family (more specifically just Honoka and Yukiho). Why? Because, I've been pretty indecisive on the specifics for this story. So! In addition to deciding whether or not this story gets to live, you guys are going to make a few story decisions (yay?)**

**Here are the questions. Let me know your thoughts in reviews**

**1.) Should I include romance in this story? Or do you think it is better without it?**

**2.) If you think there should be Romance, who would you like to be paired with Honoka?**

**3.) Would you like other pairings to be included?**

**That's all from me. If this story lives on, I'll see you in the next update. If not, well I hope to see you in my other stories~**


	3. Knights and Guilds

**Satsuki Rin: Don't worry, I wasn't ignoring my own opinions. I actually had a lot of different introductions thought out, and was just too indecisive to pick one. So I wanted to let the readers choose.**

**Major Mike Powell III: That is indeed a fact of life, lol X3 And as far as your prediction... I'm going to disappoint you and say that it's wrong. However, hopefully you'll be happier after this chapter. **

**NicoxMaki: Haha, sorry but I'm planning on this being single pairing and not a harem. Need a break after the one I did before and the one I started recently, X3**

**Guest (no name): Similar response to NicoxMaki, I'm going to stay away from harem for this story. Of course, we're still keeping the fun, haha.**

***Disclaimer: I do NOT own Love Live!**

* * *

The girl walked through the streets lined with buildings. She knew because of her contract that this was part of the Upper Quarter of the Capital City, Zenethra. It was considered the higher class living area. That's in contrast to the Lower Quarter, with the not-as-fortune citizens of Zenethra. But considering it was the capital city of the Izolle continent, they weren't poor by any stretch of the imagination.

It was almost only that fact which brought the girl to despise this city and the Knights, who were the military force for the Royal Family. Something that grew increasingly clear to her, was just how ignorant this city was from the rest of the world. The citizens here had the luxury of being pampered and protected by the Royal Family and the Knights. And they were extremely pampered. If you compared the poorest person living in this city to the richest person in the next city several kilometers over, the poor person living here still has substantially more money.

It was almost sad in a way to the girl. Her grudge actually had nothing to do with the Royal Family directly. In fact, to everywhere outside Zenethra, it was well known that the Knights act out on their own without the Royal Family knowing. The Royal Family themselves were very kind, which made it easier for the Knights to manipulate them and abuse their power. In fact, if it wasn't for the castle being directly in the center of Zenethra, this city might have become a victim of the Knight's corruption like the rest of the continent.

Her family had left the continent before she was born, so she wasn't native here. Yet, her first visit to this continent was a few mercenary jobs, and her first visit to the capital was to capture the first princess. According to her parents, her brother, and to most people she knew back home, the princess was very important. The Knights, while they do sneak around the Royal Family, are still loyal in that they protect and serve the Family. Capturing the first princess in line for the throne would allow negotiations with the Knights.

"I still don't see why no one has tried to tell the Royal Family directly," the girl said to herself.

She never really understood politics, nor did she like resorting to these kind of methods to do anything, despite where she lived and grew up. While cities on the Izolle continent were exploited by the Knights, they were still given services from the Royal Family, like protection. Her home town, as well as that continent in general, didn't get that luxury. Not that any of them complained, as they fled to that continent with the intent of escaping the lifestyle here on Izolle. They wanted nothing to do with the Royal Family and the Knights. Because of that, they learned to fend for themselves. Of course, sometimes they resorted to fights for just about everything. While she grew up in these conditions, she still never liked first resorting to violence.

"Well, well, look what we have here."

The new voice had snapped the girl out of her thoughts. She looked ahead, finding a man blocking her path, smiling.

"What do you want?" the girl asked, annoyed.

"What we want is you, little Miss," came a voice behind her.

She turned around, finally noticing the two other men that had flanked her.

"You're worth quite a lot of money right now, you know?" the third man said.

"Yeah, look at this," the first man in front of her said, holding out a piece of paper.

She turned to face forward again. The paper in the man's hand turned out to be a Wanted poster. Though, all it contained was a picture and the reward amount. There was no name.

"They make those things pretty fast," the girl remarked. "I've only been in this region for a week."

"So you _are_ the one in this poster. Good, looks like we'll get paid well today boys."

_So there are people like this even here, huh?_ the girl thought to herself. She sighed, then turned to her right and started walking.

"Where do you think you're going?" one of the men asked.

"If you're really confident you'll catch me, why not humor me a bit?" she asked, continuing to walk into the alleyway.

The men exchanged glances before they followed her into the alley.

If only they knew what they were getting into.

* * *

"And... Done."

Honoka looked into the mirror as her maid took a step back from her chair. She turned her head to the left, and then to the right, inspecting herself. First her hair, then the necklace, then the dress. Her maid did her best to keep herself composed, but she was getting more nervous as Honoka continued to look herself in the mirror.

"Well...?" she asked.

Honoka sighed. "Well, I still cannot say that I'm disappointed with your work." She turned in her chair to face her maid with a smile. "Beautifully done once again, Maria-san."

Maria let out her held breath. "Thank you, Honoka-sama. But please, have a little more mercy on me. I cannot handle being held in suspense like that."

"Hehe, I'm sorry. Old habits die hard."

"Don't remind me..." Maria said with a sigh.

Honoka smiled again, then stood up. "Come on, now it's your turn."

"Eh? But Honoka-sama, I don't think-"

Honoka placed a finger on her maid's lips to interrupt. "Maria-san, it's okay. Otou-sama wants you and the other three to be with us for dinner tonight."

"Really?"

"Yup! Now come on, or we'll run out of time."

Maria smiled widely. "Hai!"

They switched places. Maria sat on the chair and Honoka stood behind her. She got to work getting her maid ready for dinner.

* * *

She took one last look around the alley. The bodies of the three men now lay unconscious on the ground or against one of the walls.

"Not bad," she said to the unconscious figures. "You did well to stay conscious for as long as you did. Of course, that's while I wasn't using magic."

She sighed and turned away to exit the alley. Once she re-emerged onto the street, she looked up at the sky. The sun had lowered a significant amount since she went into the alley.

"I guess that took even longer than I thought..."

"I'll say. I didn't think you would toy with them for _that_ long nya~," came a new voice.

She spun around instantly, scanning behind her. But she didn't find anything at first. For a moment she thought she was just imagining things, but then she realized what was wrong. She looked up, finally spotting where the voice came from. It was a girl, sitting outside of a window on the second floor of the building. Against the setting evening sky, she could barely make out the girl's short, orange hair. But something she saw with absolute clarity, was her cat-like green eyes.

"Who are you?" the girl demanded at the newcomer.

"Nya, how rude," the orange-haired girl responded. "You're supposed to introduce yourself before you ask another person's name."

The girl jumped from the window, landing flawlessly onto the street. As the newcomer stood up straight, the girl noticed how young she was. She actually looked younger, but there was no way to know for sure. Though the girl did know something with absolute certainty about this cat-like girl, just from the uniform she was wearing.

"You're from the Knights."

"Roger that," the cat-girl said. "And you're from the capital city Dahngrest on the Telos Astue continent. You're the daughter of Wingul, who leads the head guild Aselia which governs the continent. Minami Kotori, correct?"

Kotori raised an eyebrow. "So you know me?"

"My dear, you're from the family and region that opposes the ideals of the Knights. And in the short time you've been on our land, you've caused quite a lot of trouble, specifically to the Knights. Of course we know about you. Now then..."

The knight snapped her fingers. Kotori's first guess was that she was summoning reinforcements. Though as she was about to turn, she felt her body move against her. Her arms were forced behind her and her legs had snapped together, causing her to fall onto the ground. It was while she was laying here that she was finally made aware of the thin wires that she was now wrapped in.

"Do you like?" the knight asked, unable to hold back a grin as she lowered herself a bit, leaning over Kotori. "Enchanted tripwires. Reinforced to suppressed magic and drugged enough to weaken your muscles, to keep you from breaking free."

"How impressive..." Kotori said bitterly.

"Aww don't worry. Once you're nice and safe in a jail cell, you'll be free from my little invention."

The knight straightened herself up again. She was looking in the opposite direction, but turned back to Kotori.

"Oh, and I haven't properly introduced myself have I? The name's Hoshizora Rin, Mesmer of the Knight's Elite Spec Ops Unit. Pleasure to meet you."

Kotori could only stare at Rin in disbelief.

* * *

Due to its size, the knocking at the door caused an echo throughout the dining hall. The King signaled for one of the maids on duty to respond. After a couple of seconds, the maid came back up to the table.

"Your highness, it's one of the Elite Knights. She has a criminal captive, and wishes to know of her sentence."

He considered the maid's words. "Well, why is this being brought to me, and not the council?"

"Well... it's because of the captive. You see... she's from the Minami family."

At the mention of the family's name, the entire table froze. Within seconds, the King was on his feet. He turned to his maid sitting on his left.

"Clare, we must take care of this at once."

Clare was already getting to her feet. "Of course, my king."

The two quickly left the table with the reporting maid following close behind. The other six gathered at the table watched them leave, then returned to their dinner. After a few minutes of silence, Honoka had stood up.

"Finished already?" her mother asked.

Honoka nodded. "I lost my appetite. So I'll be excusing myself now."

She turned to walk away from the grand table. Maria seemed to have known as she was already out of her own chair and by Honoka's side. The two of them walked out together, making their way to Honoka's room. There was another few seconds of silence until those still at the table felt Honoka and Maria were out of range to hear them.

"Okaa-sama," Yukiho started. "Why did Otou-sama have to leave?"

Yukiho's personal maid shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "Y-Yukiho-sama, I don't think-"

"It's alright, Haru," the mother interrupted, silencing the maid. "She was going to be told eventually."

"H-hai..."

The mother looked to Yukiho. "Minami Wingul and your father used to be close friends in their adolescence. They used to go to school together, practice magic and sword-fighting. They were nearly inseparable friends."

"Really?" Yukiho asked. "What happened?"

"Well, as close as they were, there was one big difference between them. They were both born of nobility, yet they had differing opinions on the kingdom. Your father was in favor of the way things have always been done, but Wingul wasn't. He kept speaking of corruption and manipulation, and that your father's eventual rise to the throne would make him a victim of it all. Of course, your father didn't believe it. After all, he never saw these issues himself, never experienced them, so why should he? And then..."

"Then..?"

The mother sighed before continuing. "There was a woman that Wingul met. Your father and I were recently engaged at the time, so I didn't know Wingul that well. But I had always been suspicious of that woman. I tried to convince your father, but at the time he was thinking more for his friend's happiness and didn't believe my doubts." She paused for a moment, then asked, "You remember the stories of Alexei, correct?"

Yukiho nodded. "He's a noble that tried to rule the world using dark magic."

"Yes. As it turns out, that woman was a descendent of Alexei. She had tainted Wingul, turning him to dark magic, and fueled it with Wingul's hate for the system used to rule Izolle. By the time we met Wingul again, your father had been recently crowned as the new king, with me alongside him as the queen. Wingul challenged your father for the crown. But he still had little control, even with the woman's help, and your father and I had bested them. But as this act was seen as a high crime, your father had no choice but to banish Wingul from Izolle. Since then, Wingul and that woman, who is now his wife, gathered others who shared his original hate for Izolle's government and left for Telos Astue. Under their system, the guild system, the Minami rule."

"I see... But... I still don't understand why Otou-sama had to leave."

"Well, Wingul's wife was a descendent of Alexei, so his dark magic runs through her blood. And by extension..."

"Their children are also users of dark magic," Yukiho finished, finally understanding the connection.

The mother nodded. "That's right. And dark magic is the complete opposite to our holy magic. If two sources of each magic were too close, there is the possibility that one source can completely corrupt the other."

"You mean... If we were to stay near one of them for too long... We'll turn to dark magic?"

"Correct. We would have been at risk if the Minami daughter were brought in here, even I would be, as my holy magic isn't what it used to be. But your father isn't at risk. His magic is very strong."

"And what about Onee-sama?"

The mother paused. She carefully considered her words before continuing.

"Your sister is somewhat an exception to us. Her magic completely exceeds that of your father's. She actually has more magic potential than anyone's seen in the last few centuries. However, she's unaware of her potential. She already has some trouble controlling magic because her emotions can cause her to lose focus easily, so we haven't revealed her potential to her yet in fear that it'll shatter her confidence. She has the power to be immune to the corruption, but without the proper control, she can be even easier to influence than you or me."

"Then, shouldn't we have more people watching her?"

For the first time in a while, the mother smiled. "You need not worry. We assigned Maria to your sister specifically for that reason. Being a descendent from Ally's family line," she indicated her personal maid to her right, "Maria has been specially trained to protect Honoka better than 10 of our Knights."

"But..."

The mother had since gotten up from her seat. She walked to Yukiho's seat and embraced her from behind.

"Don't worry, your sister is perfectly safe. I promise."

"...If you say so..."

The mother looked to Ally. "I think we should have deserts a little early tonight."

"I'll request it at once," Ally said, raising from her seat to leave for the kitchen.

* * *

He had watched from the rooftop as day turned to night. Still, there was no sign of her sister.

"It's nearly time..." He said to himself. "Where's Kotori?"

At this point he started losing his patience.

"Forget it. If I wait any longer, I'll miss my chance. Guess I just have to do this on my own."

* * *

Their walk was quiet as they made their way to Honoka's room. But once they were inside, Maria asked the question that was bugging her the entire time.

"Honoka-sama, you plan on visiting Minami's cell, don't you?" she asked.

Honoka turned to face her, and Maria saw an expression she hasn't seen on her master in several years. Her face was serious.

"I know you're here to make sure I'm safe and I don't do anything reckless, but I can't let you stop me this time."

Maria shook her head. "Indeed, I was asked by your parents to protect you. But as I've said, I am your maid first and foremost. I won't tell you not to go, I'll just go with you instead."

Honoka smiled, then went to hug her maid tightly. "You're the best, Maria."

"Eheh..." Maria's face went slightly red at her master's compliment. "Anyway, we should wait until later, when they're changing the guard. Otherwise we'll get caught."

"Hai."

* * *

**Hey guys, nobodD here!**

**Alright so first off, the second genre. We WILL be including romance. No one said no, a lot of you gave me vague answers, and a few were yes. Soo... yeah X3**

**As for Honoka's love interest... Well again you guys gave interesting answers. If you noticed, I was pretty vague with chapter 1. I mean, only 2 names characters? That's because I really wanted YOU guys to decide these things. I easily could've made this opening to fit any of the other characters.**

**Oh and because it maybe wasn't that obvious, the love interest in Kotori. The way I did it was looked through your answers, cause you guys gave me more than one for #2, and just counted every time a char was mentioned. Kotori was mentioned the most at 9 times, so she was chosen. And if you're interested, Umi was second at 6, Maki and Eli tied with 4, and Tsubasa and the male char mentioned 1 time. (lineonthecanvas was the last review counted, if you want to know what was counted.)**

**Okay, onto the story. So for the first couple of chapters, I'll slowly be introducing the other characters. Because of that, check out my dropbox (linked in my FF profile) for pics of characters. Most are pics of artist's OCs on sites like pixiv. I also left the picture ID numbers in the file names if you want to search them up yourself (just google either pixiv or eshuushuu and the pic id number and you'll find it). This is AU, so I'll probably find creature pictures later on for chapters X3**

**Also about Rin. Mesmer is like a hex/saboteur type of mage class, which comes from Guild Wars (but no, the guild idea in this story wasn't from that game). It's a interrupt and debuff class, but in this story I'm also giving it a few more attributes, like the trapping used in this chapter. As far as the pic used for Rin, well I couldn't find her in Knight's armor or similar kind of uniform, so I used her _Sore wa Bokutachi no Kiseki_ outfit, cause it kinda works. **

**Another thing you can find in my dropbox is a picture reference. When I noticed Kotori was getting a lot of votes, I remembered this pic and decided I'd expand on it. I was actually getting pretty excited about it because of how many ideas I thought of already. This is also why I wrote chapter 1 the way I did. Had another character won, then I would've used the female cloaked character completely differently, Rin wouldn't have been introduced like this, and the whole Wingul story wouldn't have been created. For example, if Umi had won, then she and Kotori would've ran into Honoka in the lower quarter while Honoka was sneaking out of the castle.**

**...I've had this story idea for like 2 months now. I've had a lot of things thought out xp**

**Now that you know the main pairing, I will ask you all again for your preferences on side pairings. We'll only do one other pairing. BUT, I am not taking suggestions for that yet. I will have a poll asking for what you want, but only AFTER the other characters have been introduced. The reason is some chars might be OoC in this story, as I have their roles mostly planned out. So I would rather you all wait to see how they are before you make your suggestions.**

**One last thing! Please, please, PLEASE ask me questions if you're confused about anything about this story. The reason is this is my first attempt at AU, and like I said I've had a lot of ideas already. But in my honest opinion, I'm sometimes very bad at conveying those ideas. It doesn't help that the story ideas I have involve a lot of secrecy, and I have to be vague a lot of the time.**

**You can PM me if you're shy, but I encourage you to ask in reviews, as others might be similarly confused as you are, and I would like to avoid answering one question in five different PMs. **

**Okay, I think that's it. I'm sorry that these notes are extremely long, but I had a lot to say. I hope this was an okay second chapter. It was still a lot of explaining back story. By the 3rd or 4th chapter will start to see more action. I tried to foreshadow, but I'm bad at that too X3. Last 2 scenes were also really short, but basically things are happening next chapter.**

**Okay...I should stop now. Hope to see you back for chapter 3~**


	4. Unlikely Allies

**Roxius: Eheh, I get a lot of inspiration from pictures. And after seeing a set of pictures on Pixiv of an LL crossover, ideas just started flowing. X3 I'm not completely sure how long it will be. It depends how fast I want each chapter to progress the story along. I hope it lasts a long time though.**

**Nelura: Haha, this story is very loosely based off of ToV. That is my absolute fav game of the series *heart*. You'll see some similarities, mostly the world layout, but different plot. As for the pairing, if it were left up to me to decide the pairing, then this story would have never started... lol I'm that indecisive at times. Plus, it gave a chance for you guys to have a say in something. As for the side pairing, well, that'll be voted on later. So you never know what'll pop up.**

**lychee-ran: Uhm... No most of those are wrong actually xp But we'll get to that as the characters are introduced. Also, I feel like I say this alot but I want to let you guys choose. Especially with this story, where I'm very indecisive. I enjoy reader input every once in a while as well.**

**Satsuki Rin: Haha yeah, that's right. If it were another character rather than Kotori, this second chapter and on would look quite different. For one, Kotori is only a dark mage in this version, in most other versions she would've been the typical healer kind of mage. Yeah, there's going to be flaws, I can't help that since it's a lot of adapting borrowed ideas. And haha, well to be fair, Rin isn't very ordinary either, so not even Kotori would've anticipated that.**

***Disclaimer: I do NOT own Love Live!**

* * *

After waiting for what seemed like forever, the late night hour came where the maid's changed guard shifts. Honoka and Maria waited until they felt it was the right time, then quietly opened the door to Honoka's room and slipped into the hallway.

The two had discussed the plan very briefly. Maria had knowledge of all the late-night guard spots, as well as patrol patterns. Right now guards were to hold position at assigned spots while their reliefs would meet them there and take over. Maria led Honoka through each corridor, pausing by each corner to make sure a stray guard wasn't by. Though the clear sign was the lamps they carried. With no visible light, they would continue forward.

Their goal was the prison cells, located in the southeastern part of the castle and at basement level. Honoka's room was located in the northwestern corner of the castle, and on the second floor. Of course, there were secret passages throughout the castle. They were known to all who needed to know, namely the Kousaka family, the maids, and the Knights. Honoka and Maria cut a fair amount of time through the passages, arriving near the basement entrance within minutes.

As they made their way down the stairs, their pace slowed down by a lot. Basement level was more or less just the dungeon, and logically that meant it was guarded a little heavier than random corridors of the castle. Sounds also echoed a lot more than in the corridors as well.

So, Honoka and Maria tried to take things a lot slower and make as little noise as possible. Though Honoka was eager, and she couldn't handle taking things slowly for that long. Maria sensed her master's feelings and acted accordingly, picking up the pace while still making as little noise as they possibly could.

Maria signaled to stop as they reached the end of the corridor. She was looking around the corner. Curious, Honoka stepped behind her, looking around as well. The next room would be dark except for a corner at the opposite end from where they would enter. That was the guard's post, right next to the prison entrances.

"Looks like they've already changed shifts down here," Maria said under her breath.

"Good. That should make things easier."

"It'll still be a bit tricky..."

Honoka placed a hand on Maria's shoulder. "I know you can do it."

Honoka retreated back around the corner again while Maria stepped out into the larger room. She dropped the sneaking mindset, and simply walked across the room toward the guard's spot. The sudden noise of footsteps had made the guard jump slightly. Though he relaxed once he shined the light over and saw the maid.

"Ah, the Princess's maid," the guard said.

Maria smiled. "Good evening."

"Not that I particularly mind... But what are you doing down here?"

"Well, that Minami girl is being held here, isn't she?"

"Yes, what about it?"

"Well as you can imagine, the princess is concerned about her presence." Maria paused, then quickly added, "Not that she doesn't trust you Knights."

The Knight shook his head. "I understand. Everyone knows of the Minamis' powers. This girl's power probably rivals the Princess's herself."

_No one rival's Honoka-sama in raw power_, Maria thought. _But control is another matter entirely._

"Well, you can understand then why I was told to come by and check on things," Maria said.

"Right. Well, I can show you to the cell if you would like."

"If you'd be so kind."

The Knight turned and motioned Maria to follow him down further. Maria began walking, but pulled out a card behind her back, tilting it twice before making her way down the stairs. It was the signal for Honoka to move. She did so, crossing the empty room as quietly as possible to follow them down the stairs.

Maria and the knight reached the bottom of staircase and continued walking. But when Honoka hit the bottom, she ducked into a dark corner to hide. The knight continued leading Maria all the way to the last cell. You could tell at a distance that this was a different cell from the others, as it had a magic seal across the entrance.

"Here we are," the knight said. "Minami's cell."

"With a magic seal by the King himself," Maria added.

The knight nodded. "As secure as this cell can ever be."

Maria turned to the knight. "I'm going to check some last things here. You can go back to your post."

The knight simply nodded and turned back around. It seemed to take him forever to make his way back up the stairs, but once he finally left Honoka was able to leave her corner and rejoin Maria by the prison cell.

* * *

He carefully made his way through the dark passageway.

"An actual passage as well," the man said to himself. "I was honestly expecting this to be sewers."

For a moment he considered how weird it is that he's talking to himself. Although that thought didn't last long, it did bring something else to his mind.

"What could have happened to Kotori? She should have just stayed with me instead of wandering off."

He shook his head.

"Guess that doesn't matter now. I have to see this through."

He continued through the underground passage.

* * *

She heard the door to her room open. She looked up from the book in her hand and looked toward her maid.

"Well, Ally?" she asked.

"It's like you thought, my Queen," Ally responded. "Your daughter isn't in her room, and Maria is gone as well."

The mother sighed. "I was hoping I wasn't right in this case. They've probably made their way to the dungeon."

"Should we alert the King?"

"We don't need to tell my husband yet. Let's see if we can't catch my daughter ourselves first."

"As you wish."

She closed the book in her hand and placed it onto the table, standing up. As she didn't see any reason to hurry, she and her maid took their time leaving the room and entering the hallway.

* * *

The knight and a maid didn't really catch her attention. But this new arrival got her to sit up on her prison bed.

"You're... Kousaka Honoka..." Kotori said, somewhat in disbelief.

"That's right," Honoka said, somewhat smiling.

Kotori narrowed her eyes. "What do you want?"

"Me? I just want to talk."

"... Huh?"

"That's right. Actually, there's a request I have for you."

"A request? You know who I am... right?"

"You're Minami Kotori."

Honoka answered almost immediately, surprising Kotori.

"Yes, I know our families' history with each other. But my request still stands. I need your help."

Kotori raised an eyebrow. "What do you want?"

"Let me ask you first. You've traveled around a lot, right?"

"Somewhat... Why?"

"Okay, because here's my request. Take me around the country."

"... What?"

"Take me to travel around the country. I've been so bored being stuck in this castle every day. So, take me traveling with you. I want to be able to see the country, and what the world has to offer."

Kotori took a moment to fully process what Honoka had just said.

"You want me... to take you traveling around the country?" she asked.

"Well, around the world. But the country would be fine too."

"You know there are all kinds of monsters out there."

"Yes, I've read about them. But of course, I've never been allowed outside the castle, so I've never had the chance to see them myself."

"And you'll be traveling with me. You know what kind of risk that puts on you?"

To this, Honoka smiled again. "I don't think that will be much of a problem, and you know it as well."

"What do you mean?"

"If you were truly a threat to me, you wouldn't be warning me right now. You would be trying to deceive me, right?"

Kotori realized Honoka was right. "I-it doesn't matter. Our families are-"

"Enemies? So what? I'm only asking you to take me traveling. I'm not asking you to marry me or something."

Kotori lost track of how many times she found herself lost for words in this conversation. She quietly considered Honoka's words again, finding she had no reason not to help. Honoka had been right about her as well. Apart from the mercenary contract, she had no will or reason to harm Honoka. She sighed.

"Somehow I have a bad feeling about this," she said finally. "But fine, I'll accept your request. But just around the country, alright?"

The delight was evident in Honoka's face. "Wonderful."

"... You're unusual for a princess, you know that?"

"I've been told. Now, be ready. Once I take down my father's seal, he'll be alerted, and we'll have to move quickly."

Kotori nodded her understanding. Honoka placed a hand on the magical barrier, closing her eyes and focusing. Kotori saw from her side that the Kousaka crest drew itself on the palm of Honoka's hand, and a moment later the entire barrier dissolved. Then Maria stepped forward, pulling a key out of her pocket and unlocking the cell lock. Kotori pushed the cell door open, and the three made their way to the exit of the dungeon. Kotori looked around as they went.

_I really was the only prisoner here, huh?_ she thought to herself.

They didn't slow down to move quieter as they ascended the staircase. As they ran, Maria conjured another card, bringing it in front of her. Before they passed through the entry back into the guard's room, she threw the card forward. Instinctively, the three of them covered their eyes. The knight at the top, caught unaware and unsuspecting, looked straight at the card.

That mistake was all they needed. The card emitted a bright flash of light. The sudden burst forced the knight's eyes shut, and the secondary effect kicked in. Two waves of air shot from the card in all directions. The first wave made the guard's balance unsteady, with the follow-up wave knocking him over. By now the three reached the top of the stairs, and proceeded quickly through the room. Kotori turned back to see the knight, still doubled over and covering his eyes as they left the room.

* * *

"The seal to the Minami girl's cell just went down."

"You can tell?"

"My magic is linked to my husband's. So I'm able to feel things that he can."

The queen smiled to herself as she continued walking with Ally through the corridors. The magic link between her and the King wasn't there originally. It took her a lot of convincing to get him to agree to that kind of shared power. Now it was paying off.

"So, if you don't mind me asking..." came Ally's voice. "Why are we still proceeding casually?"

"Because we're not going after my daughter."

"... What?"

The queen held up her hand, signaling for Ally to stop. "There's an uninvited guest that needs attending to first."

Before Ally got a chance to ask another question, a dark figure had emerged at the end of the hallway. But it wasn't a figure she recognized. As the figure stepped forward into the light, Ally found that it wasn't a _she_, but a _he_.

"Richter." The queen announced. "Son of Wingul and Asriel Minami."

"I guess I should feel honored that the Queen of Izolle," Richter challenged. "However I don't have time to be wasting on you right now."

"Of course you have time. You're targeting my daughter after all. There's no way we could let that slide, can we?"

"... I don't know how you came to know my objective, but I'm starting to get really annoyed with you. I hope you aren't a disappointment, old lady."

The queen unsheathed her rapier. "Don't worry, I'll give you a little hope before I humiliate you."

The grin on her master's face told Ally what she was in for. She shrugged and moved off to the side. She leaned against a particular part of the wall, tapping it behind her with two fingers. A control panel revealed itself in response. She quickly tapped the keys for a command. The system responded just as the first spell was casted.

* * *

They moved quickly, and somewhat quietly, through the corridors. They reached the entrance to one of the secret passageways. As they made their way through, Kotori couldn't help but asking something that's been on her mind.

"Have you always been able to use spell cards?" she asked Maria.

"Well personal maids aren't appointed just because we're the most obedient," Maria answered. "We're tasked with protecting our masters, with our own power."

"Of course, the way each maid serves is different," Honoka pointed out. "Maria-chan is the only one who uses cards and a revolver as magic mediums."

"A revolver?" Kotori asked.

Mari lifted the right side of her uniform's skirt, revealing a revolver and it's holster strapped on her right thigh. It was positioned for easy access, while still comfortably hiding under the uniform.

"I'm a good shot with it as well," Maria said. "So, I would think twice if you suddenly have the urge to double-cross us."

"Noted..." Then something else was bothering Kotori. "So anyway, where are we going? Isn't the castle entrance in the opposite direction."

"It is. We're going to stop by my room," Honoka answered.

"You're room?"

"Yup. You don't expect me travel around the country looking like a princess, do you?"

"... You have a point there."

"Quiet," Maria said. "We're about to enter the corridors again."

Maria looked around to make sure no one was around. Once she decided it was clear, they exited the passageway into the corridor. It was around the corner from Honoka's room. Maria placed her hand on the doorknob and was about to open it when Honoka caught her hand.

"What?" Maria asked.

"Wait."

Kotori watched, expecting something. There was a small flash of light, and then Honoka let go of Maria's arm.

"Ally placed a spell in the doorway," Honoka explained. "It would've tripped if we opened the door."

"Aren't you supposed to be keen to these kind of stuff?" Kotori asked.

"S-shut up," Maria breathed before pushing the door open.

If Kotori didn't know Honoka was a princess, seeing her room now would've convinced Kotori of that. Having grown up in a fairly normal way, the room was everything Kotori would've guessed a princess's room would be, from the design to the furniture to the size.

"Don't worry, I won't be long," Honoka announced. She walked to her closet, pulled something out, then got onto her bed and closed the bed curtains.

Maria and Kotori waited quietly. Kotori wouldn't look, but she had a feeling Maria was keeping an eye on her. Though when she finally got the nerve to look over at the maid, Maria had her head down, eyes closed.

"You're not asleep, are you?" Kotori asked.

"You think I'd easily let my guard down like that while around you?" Maria responded.

"Just checking..."

"Don't get me wrong. I'm cautious of anyone whose potentially a threat to my master. It's not just you specifically."

"Thanks for that, I guess," Kotori said, not sure how to react.

Maria opened her eyes again, looking to Honoka's bed.

"She sees something in you, thinks you wouldn't do anything to her. I don't know where she gets this blind faith, though."

"Maybe she just wants to believe that so she can get out of this castle."

"That could be true as well. Aside from her training, she doesn't look like the happy child she was growing up in here. She looks longingly out of her window almost daily."

"That's... quite sad, actually..."

Maria glanced at Kotori out of the corner of her eye. Coming to a decision, she got up from the wall she was leaning on, and turned to the door.

"Hmm? Where are you going?" Kotori asked.

"I'm going to keep watch outside. Make sure it's clear when we leave."

"Shouldn't I-"

"Just stay put until Honoka-sama is done."

Without any more room for arguing, Maria stepped outside the room. Kotori looked after her for a moment before turning back around to face the bed. She didn't have to wait much longer, as Honoka pulled the curtains again after a few minutes.

"Well, what do you think?" Honoka asked, twirling once.

Kotori raised an eyebrow. "Wouldn't that still give away that you're a princess?"

"Eh? But this was given to me by one of the upper quarter nobles."

"Seriously?"

Honoka nodded.

"... Rich people..."

"Eh? What was that?"

"Nothing. Anyway, Maria's waiting outside. Let's go?"

"Yup!"

Kotori slowly opened the door. Maria had been scanning up and down the hallway. Once she heard the door open, she gave them a signal that it was clear. They were on the move again, moving down the hallway in the opposite direction from where they came. They went down two halls before jumping into another passageway.

The rest of the time they spent sneaking around the castle, there was no conversation. Maria led Kotori and Honoka with hand signals, and they hurried along until they reached a particular room.

"This room is..." Kotori started.

"Linked to the outside with a secret passage," Maria finished.

It was a fairly large room, and almost empty except for an ice statue in the center. Maria walked up to its base. She placed two cards she conjured on it, each covered by her hands. With the help of the cards, Maria pushed the statue, revealing the passageway underneath.

"Once I release the cards, the statue will snap back into place," Maria told them. "So you two go first."

Kotori and Honoka did so without question. They slipped into the entryway. Once they were both safely through, Maria jumped in, grabbing her cards as she did so. Had she not been prepared, she would've been caught by the motion of the statue. But she rejoined the other two without a scratch.

* * *

"Well, I hope that wasn't disappointing to you," The queen said sweetly.

Ally overlooked the result of the battle between Richter and the Queen. Although _battle_ was a generous term, as the conflict only lasted a few minutes.

"If you were really a dark prince, then you probably would've stood more of a chance."

"Enjoying your little victory?" a new voice asked.

"Of course. I haven't had to exert myself in years," The queen answered, turning to face her husband.

"You certainly didn't go easy on the kid."

"Yes I did. If I went all-out, he wouldn't be breathing anymore."

The king raised an amused eyebrow. His wife just smiled and went up to hug him.

"Come on, I just wanted to have some fun," she said.

"Well, he seems to be okay still. We'll have the knights send him back to Telos Astue."

"Good. I would've been upset if we had to keep him prisoner around here."

"Speaking of which, you realize our daughter left the castle."

"I know, I felt her presence leave."

"Shouldn't we go and-"

The queen placed a finger on his lips to silence him. "No we shouldn't. This will be good for her. She needs to get out by her own will, and experience things."

"But we could've taken her out of the city."

"If we did that then she wouldn't want to go."

"But-"

"Shh. Remember, we used to explore a lot before your father passed away and you had to take the throne. And your father didn't think it was right for us to be going alone. But we learned so much from those adventures. We gained experience, and our people respected us. No one thought they could attack us the same way they thought your parents were vulnerable. It'll be the same if Honoka gets a chance to travel."

The king sighed. "Well, I can't argue with that."

"Exactly." She reached up so they could kiss. "In the meantime, we have another daughter who has _a lot_ to learn about her duties as a princess."

"You're right. We should get ready for tomorrow. Come along, you two."

Ally peered over in the direction the king had come from. Sure enough, his maid Clare emerged from the shadows. The two waited for the King and Queen to start walking, but the king first faced Ally.

"Oh, and thanks for the video alert. Too bad I didn't reach here in time."

"No problem, sir," Ally said.

The four of them returned to the King and Queen's quarters. Some knights came by to pick up Richter.

* * *

**Hey guys, nobodD here!**

**Horray! I finally got around to updating this story X3 I've really wanted to get back to you guys, but personal life again. Nothing too bad. Just mostly busy and some hard time sleeping.**

**Anyway! We're back, and that makes me happy. Super sorry that it took long, but happy nonetheless.**

**For anyone interested in why I made Maria specialized the way she is, check out my Dropbox. In this story's ch.3 folder you'll find the two picture references, as well as Honoka's outfit midway through this chapter. If it wasn't obviously already, I get ALOT of inspiration from pictures X3.**

**I think for the most part we won't be flipping between points of view anymore, and mainly focus on the main party's side. That also means we'll get to start meeting the other characters! Oh and Rin will obviously come back soon as well X3**

**Not really much else to say. Probably forgetting a lot of things. Anyway! Hopefully people are still interested in this story. I want to focus a lot more on this. As always, and comments and questions can be in reviews or PM.**

**Hope to see you again soon~**


	5. Before They Leave

**lychee-ran: Very nice X3 Actually when I was deciding how I wanted the spell cards to behave, I thought of Touhou too. Though, a bit more than just colorful bullet patterns X3 And Rin will seen again soon, so your question shall be answered.**

**the intertwined feelings: A couple are right. I don't want to answer too much though because I don't want to give a lot away. **

***Disclaimer: I do NOT own Love Live!**

* * *

"How much further?"

"Who knows? This passage could go on for a while."

"You're... you're joking right?"

"What's wrong? Tired already?"

"No... But I'm not too fond of being in this sewer passage either."

"It could be worse. You could fall into the water."

"Don't say that!"

Maria continued silently listening to the other two's conversation as she led the trio through the passageway. It had been quiet for the first few minutes they'd been walking when they dropped into the passageway. But after a short while Honoka could no longer stand the silence, and just started talking. It had only recently developed into a conversation with Kotori.

Although she could have interrupted or even joined in the conversation at any point, Maria found some pleasure in just listening. It had been quite a while since the last time she could remember her Master having a conversation of any kind with someone _not_ associated with the castle, so it was a nice change. There was also this strange feeling that Maria had that she couldn't shake. It was a feeling that told her that she should avoid interrupting the other two as much as possible.

"Despite some of the stranger things about you already, it's clear that you still are a princess," Kotori said.

"Eh? What's that supposed to mean?"

"What? Do you think it's normal for a princess to release a prisoner for the sake of traveling?"

"I know _that_. I want to know what you meant that it's clear that I am a princess still?"

"Oh, that. Well just by the questions you ask or how you sometimes act, it's obvious you've almost never been outside of the castle."

Kotori glanced over and saw a change in Honoka's demeanor.

"No... I haven't. My parents thought it would be good for me to see the city on occasion. But it was very rare. The only times I've even seen someone other than my family or the maids are for celebrations that we hosted. Otherwise, I'm not allowed outside."

"Really? That's too bad. You're missing a lot out there in the world."

"I know. I've read about so much in books but I've never seen it for myself."

"There you go with the books again. But those don't compare at all to the actual experience."

"Uhm, Minami-san. Can I ask you something?"

"You just did."

"What?" Honoka took a moment to understand what Kotori meant. "H-hey! That's not it!"

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding!" Kotori gestured for Honoka to continue.

"I was just wondering, what's your favorite part of traveling?"

Kotori was somewhat surprised by Honoka's question. She took some time to think of her answer.

"I guess... my favorite part of traveling is the feeling of freedom I get when I see open fields or open ocean in front of me. It feels like I can go anywhere or do anything I want to."

"Hmm... You make it sound so wonderful..."

Kotori felt something strange in Honoka's tone. She glanced over to see a soft smile on the princess's face. As she turned to look forward again, she noticed that Maria had also been looking.

"She's probably trying to imagine the experience for herself," the maid suggested.

"Huh? Did you say something Maria-chan?" Honoka asked, snapping out of her thoughts.

"It was nothing, Honoka-sama," Maria said, flashing a smile before turning back around.

"Nothing at all," Kotori agreed when Honoka turned to face her.

Honoka made a pouting face, much to Kotori's amusement. But before she could poke fun at the princess, Maria spoke first.

"We're at the end of the passage."

* * *

She walked through the quiet streets of Zenethra. In either arm she carried paper bags full of food. Though she was still making very little noise while she walked. There wasn't a need to be quiet or cautious, as she was in a very peaceful part of the city. Quiet movement was simply a habit for her at this point.

_I suppose I could make some noise to let them know I'm coming_, the girl thought. _But surprising them is always more rewarding_.

With that decided, she continued quietly through the streets. She wouldn't have to walk for much longer, as she was a corner away from where she wanted to be.

"Ah, there you are," a voice greeted her as she emerged from the street.

She jumped slightly at the sudden voice. "Ojiichan, you surprised me."

The older man laughed. "Don't forget who taught you everything you know about sneaking around, Rin-chan."

"Hehe, I haven't forgotten."

"Did you manage to find everything?" he asked, indicating the bags.

"Ah, Yes. Everything that everyone asked for."

The man smiled. "Thanks for everything you do, Rin."

Rin shook her head. "I should be thanking you and everyone else in this district."

"Your parents were kind-hearted and did all they could to help everyone, just like you're doing now. It only makes sense for us to have taken care of you. Your parents' fate was unfortuante, but they would be proud and happy to see the young woman you've become."

Rin smiled. "Thank you for saying that, Ojiichan. Here, I'll bring those inside for you."

Before she could move, the older man stopped her, taking the bags.

"You've already done a lot for the day. Go ahead and get some rest before you go."

"But-"

"I may be old, but this much I can handle myself."

"I wasn't going to say that."

"Ah, but you were thinking it, weren't you?"

"Well..."

"Hehe, go rest for a bit."

Without waiting for her response, he turned and made his way into his house. Rin just watched him until he was inside. Then she went to the fountain in the center of the plaza. It was switched off during the late night hours, so there was currently no water running. Which was to her liking, as she was able to sit on the center structure of the fountain.

She took a moment to make herself comfortable. Once she found the right spot, she gazed up at the night sky. It was clear tonight, so she was able to easily see all of the stars. No matter what, she seemed to always lose herself while looking up at this starry sky.

Her moment didn't last long. She heard footsteps coming from one of the streets leading to the plaza. Quickly, she jumped off of the fountain, hitting the ground and quickly running for cover in a gap between two houses. She carefully peered out as the unknown people were about to appear in the plaza.

She couldn't believe who she was seeing. The first person to appear was Minami Kotori, the girl she caught earlier in the day. The girl who should be in the castle prison right now.

_What is she doing out?_ Rin thought to herself. Then she shook her head. _Well, it doesn't matter now. I have to do something._

Her right hand reached to her side as she wanted to grab one of her weapons, but then she froze again as she saw who was walking with Kotori.

_T-the princess?_ _What in the world is going on here?_

It was still pretty silent aside from their footsteps, so Rin could tell there wasn't any conversation happening.

_Don't tell me... Did Minami somehow take control of the princess?_

The situation just got more complicated for Rin now. At first sight, she aws ready to take on Kotori without hesitation. But now the princess was added into the mix. Making a hasty decision of any kind could put the princess in danger, especially because she still doesn't' know the full situation.

_But if I wait any longer they'll be leaving at the other end of the plaza_. Rin finally came to a decision. _I have to at least stall Minami right now._

She reached behind her, not for a weapon this time. Instead she searched through a pouch on her belt. She quickly found what she wanted and pulled them out of the pouch. They were three small capsules. Though hard to tell in the dark, they were two white capsules and a single grey one.

_Might be overdoing it a bit, but better safe than sorry while the princess is involved._

She got herself into a stance, planting her feet and raising her right hand slightly. She carefully watched the three in the distance, getting as good a guess at their speed as she could. Then she felt ready. She stepped out of the gap she had been hiding in, throwing the capsules.

They flew through the air, bouncing off the fountain just as Kotori, Honoka, and Maria walked nearby. They caught the noise of the capsules hitting the fountain, as the three had turned in that direction. It was hard for them to see the capsules in the low light, which left them no time to react. The two white capsules exploded mid-air, emitting a bright flash of light that momentarily blinding the three.

The grey capsule bounced a few time on the ground by their feet before exploding. Rather than flashing light, it released smoke. The little that they were able to see with only the starry sky was now obscured as the smoke wrapped around them.

Rin wasted no time. As soon as the capsules exploded, she had dashed forward. She drew her daggers from the sheaths on either side of her waist. She knew where her target was standing. She knew where the princess and her maid were. There would be no risk now for her to strike. So she dashed to the smoke, slashing the dagger on her right.

The last thing she expected to hear was the clash of metal against metal.

The wind from her dash and strike had blown the smoke from her capsule clear, revealing Kotori in a defensive stance. She had her sword already drawn, which was what caught Rin's dagger. Rin quickly recovered from her moment of surprised, jumping back to put some distance between them two.

"Nice little trick you thought of there," Kotori said.

"Not nice enough apparently," Rin responded. "It doesn't matter now. We'll settle this the old fashion way."

Rin raised her daggers in another aggressive stance. Kotori quickly understood what Rin wanted. She brought her sword up again in a one-handed grip, tip pointed toward Rin.

"Fine by me," Kotori said. "Let's see what you're really made of."

They glared at each other, getting ready to jump at any moment. But just as both were going to strike, Honoka jumped in between them, spreading her arms out.

"Wait, stop!" She pleaded, though trying to keep herself from yelling.

"K-Kousaka-sama?" Rin asked, confused.

"Hmm?" Kotori was surprised by Honoka's sudden action.

Honoka turned to Rin. "Please, you can't fight. You must leave her be."

"Kousaka-sama, you know who she is, right?" Rin asked. "She-"

"I know who she is," Honoka responded. "I asked her to help me with a favor."

"Y-you did? So you aren't being controlled or anything?"

Honoka shook her head. "No, nothing like that."

Kotori had a little smirk on her face. But before she could get a word in with Rin, Honoka had turned to her.

"And you," Honoka said to Kotori. "You can't go around causing trouble like this. Okay?"

"But... I didn't-"

"Even if you didn't start it, you were ready to continue it."

Kotori clicked her tongue, knowing Honoka was right. "Fine, I'll try not to cause trouble. At least while I'm escorting you."

Rin watched from the side. She didn't want to believe that all this was true, but now that she heard the exchange between the two, she realized that it wasn't a lie. Then some other concerns started appearing in Rin's mind.

"Kousaka-sama?"

Honoka turned away from lecturing Kotori to look at Rin. "Yes?"

"You said you asked _her_ for a favor?"

Rin and Kotori glared at each other briefly.

"Yes, I did. We're going to be leaving the capital."

"E-eh?!" Rin quickly covered her mouth, as if that would silence her sudden yelling. She looked around to see if anyone had woken up. Once she confirmed no one had, she continued. "You're doing what?"

"We're leaving the capital," Honoka repeated. "Kotori is going to take me around the world. Like an adventure." She added the last part cheerfully.

_Kotori? She dropped the formalities pretty quickly, _Kotori thought. She looked at Rin. "Well, there you have it."

"... No," Rin said.

"No?" Honoka repeated, surprised.

"I-I'm sorry, Kousaka-sama. But this is just unacceptable! There's no way I can be okay with you traveling

unadvised and with little escort."

"Well then, why don't you come with us?" Maria suggested.

"W-what?"

"That's a great idea, Maria-chan," Honoka said. Then she turned to Rin. "If you're worried, then you should come with us."

Rin considered it for a few minutes. "Well... I guess it would make sense. I can keep an eye on Minami as well... Alright, I guess I'll go with you all."

Honoka and Maria exchanged smiles. Though Kotori wasn't as excited as they were.

"Just don't expect me to save you if you get yourself into trouble," she said.

"Heh, I could say the same to you," Rin replied.

"Well, shall we go?" Maria suggested. "Before you two try to kill each other?"

"Fine," both replied, facing away from each other.

Honoka gave a helpless smile to Maria as they four turned and started walking, making their way to the gateway out of the city.

* * *

**Hey guys, nobodD here!**

**Hmm... I honestly don't like the ending to this chapter, but anything else I wanted to add is for next chapter. Oh well.**

**Anyway, I hope you all have been enjoying the story so far. As always, review with comments or questions. As you might have noticed, I try to respond at the top of each chapter. **

**So, this will probably feel like how RPG stories go. You know, party members slowly being introduced and somehow dragged into the party one by one. Yeah, that's pretty much how things will happen. X3 And now with Rin's reintroduction and joining our crew, we'll start to meet the rest of the Muse chars.**

**Going to be busy on and off for the next few weeks, so updates are going to very in time. Plus I have my other story as well as neglected oneshot requests. Though I won't lie, I really want to focus on this story over other things X3. I'll get around to everything at some point, I hope. Just wanted to keep you guys updated. **

**Uhm... Alright I think that's all from me for this chapter. Again I hope you guys have found this interesting so far and hope to see you next time.~**


	6. First Aid

**lychee-ran: I'm still debating between how many extra couples to include. My original plan was just to have one side pairing, but I'm still not sure. Also, I actually hadn't thought about Maria being with anyone. Originally she wasn't even supposed to be in the party, but ideas change X3 We'll see how things progress.**

**Satsuki Rin: Don't worry, I totally understand personal life getting in the way. *pats* As for the parents, I actually had something dramatic for them originally, but ended up liking the way they are here better. Honoka being fun-loving and adventurous is pretty much the reason this story was born. And yes, I like the marriage line a lot too, but that's because we know the outcome X3 As far as the Knights, the idea behind them definitely seems strange at first. After another of the Muse is introduced I hope that their role in the story is more clear.**

**Major Mike Powell III: Like Satsuki Rin, don't worry! I understand when other things get in the way. The Templars from AC huh. That's actually an interesting comparison. More ideas... thanks X3. Haha, apparently a lot of people liked Honoka's line in chapter 3. Yay for obvious foreshadowing. Spin the revolver? Well it needs to be a truly badass scene or it just won't do, right? ;] **

***Disclaimer: I do NOT own Love Live!**

* * *

"You're not getting away from me."

The boar turned to face the girl yelling at it. Already enraged from having its hunting party interrupted, it charged forward. The girl stood her ground. Holding her sword firmly, she brought it to her side. Its black blade began to be surrounded by a red aura, still visible in the morning sunlight.

"[Dividing Edge]"

In the blink of an eye, the girl was gone. The boar felt a rush of wind flowing against it, followed by a sharp pain in its side. The boar stopped its charge almost immediately. Had the boar turned around, it would have found the girl standing where it had been before it began charging. Instead, the boar fell over, now lifeless.

"This isn't very fun at all..." the girl said, walking up to the corpse. "Well, at least its good meat."

As she knelt down, there was a pair of whines coming from behind her. She turned while still kneeling on the ground, registering the sight of two boars, now charging angrily at her. Again she held her ground, but did not draw her sword this time.

Almost as suddenly as the boars had appeared, they had stopped in their tracks. They look around, as if searching for something. Then they fell over. There were three knives that stuck out of each boar. After a moment, Rin appeared from behind the two corpse, into Kotori's view.

"Pretty careless of you to let your guard down so easily," Rin said.

"If you were any kind of Knight then they shouldn't have been able to charge at me in the first place," Kotori retorted.

"As expected coming from you."

They glared at each other, but were quickly interrupted. A small swarm of bees (nearly as big as they were in size) were darting toward them. Their speed would mean that neither of them would have a chance to dodge or defend themselves.

Just as quickly as they had appeared, the two lead bees popped like balloons, causing the rest of the swarm to break off and fly harmlessly passed Rin and Kotori. They had regrouped quickly, and were turning around for another attempt at attacking the duo

"Illusion Bullet, [Bluff Barrage]"

This time they heard a gunshot go off, and saw as the projectile sped passed them toward the bees. There were two flashes that followed, and the single bullet was replaced by hundreds. Though they tried, the size of the bees meant that there was no way for them to dodge every bullet. Each bullet that scored a successful hit would cause a small explosion. After a blinding amount of lighting, the swarm of bees fell to the ground.

"Can you two save your little insult game for after we're done?" Maria asked, putting the spell card she had just used away.

"Hey, where is Honoka-sama?" Rin asked, ignoring Maria's comment.

Maria simply pointed over her shoulder. Rin and Kotori looked behind her just in time to see Honoka sidestep a bear trying to pound her into the ground. She twirled in the motion of the sidestep, swiping her rapier horizontally. A faint aura could be seen around the blade, which was also using magic. With the spell empowered blade, she easily cut through the bear.

"And here I thought she was a pampered, defenseless little princess," Kotori commented.

"If she had any other parents, she would have been," Maria admitted.

"Hey come on!" Honoka called out to them. "We're not done yet!"

Maria had reacted right away to Honoka's voice, moving to join her master. Rin finished retrieving her daggers and ran to join them. Kotori looked back at the corpse.

"What a waste," she said to herself before running after the others.

Together the four continued forward. The monsters were unusually aggressive, which meant they had to keep fighting their way through as they made their way to the forest. The sun was quickly blocked as they reached the outer line of trees.

Without taking a break, they continued walking into the forest. Compared to how chaotic it was on the open field just moments ago, there were no monsters in sight actively roaming the forest, giving off a very calm feeling. They slowed their pace to a walk.

Kotori looked around, taking the time to admire the forest and the way it looked with cracks of sunlight leaking through. She had been through here one other time, but it was during the night, and there were monsters hunting at the time. She wanted to enjoy this calmer experience while she could.

That calm experience wouldn't last long. As they were walking, they heard the sound of something landing on a pile of fallen leaves. They spun around to see Honoka on her knees. Maria immediately dropped to her side, arms around to support Honoka.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Honoka breathed. "Just a little tired."

"Well we have been on the move since late last night," Kotori pointed out.

"We should rest," Rin suggested "You're not used to traveling after all."

Kotori shook her head. "No, we should continue for a little longer."

Rin shot a look at Kotori. "Can't you see that Honoka-sama needs rest?"

"I know. There's a healing spring a little further into the forest. It would be better for her to rest there."

"A healing spring, huh?" Maria repeated. "Do you think you can continue a little further, Honoka-sama?"

"I think so," Honoka answered. Then she looked up to Kotori, "Lead the way."

Rin and Kotori waited while Maria helped Honoka slowly stand up again. Once they were ready, the group set off again. They were walking slower than before as Maria was helping Honoka along. Although nothing had attacked them so far, they were still weary of the possibility. Thankfully for them, they reached the spring Kotori mentioned without issue.

Right away Maria led Honoka to the spring at sat her down. She helped Honoka remove her shoes. Honoka knew to pull up her dress, and let her legs soak in the water. A very relieved sigh escaped her lips.

"Ah... Much better..."

"There's even a healing spring in a forest like this, huh?" Maria was truly surprised. Water with healing properties wasn't common to find in a place that humans didn't visit often. And this forest's reputation for being cursed would mean most people avoided it, even though there wasn't actually a curse.

Rin and Kotori were standing apart from Honoka and Maria. They were asked to keep watch, just to be safe. Rin had complied right away while Kotori had resisted at first. She would have liked to sit in the spring as well. Though she found something to make use of the time anyway.

"Hoshizora Rin, was it?" Kotori asked.

Rin nodded. "Something wrong?"

"No, just checking. So Hoshizora, what's your relationship with the princess?"

"Hmm? Why the sudden interest?"

"Well, even if it's still formally, you address her by her first name and not by family name."

"Ah, that." Rin looked over to Honoka and Maria at the spring. "It all happened by chance, really."

"By chance?" Kotori repeated.

Rin lookd at Kotori again and nodded. "Yes. You know how knights are usually chosen from families of nobility, right?"

Kotori nodded. "It's incredibly rare for them to recruit outside of noble families."

"I'm one of those rare cases."

"Really?"

"Yes. My parents died while I was young. I was an orphan until a family from the Lower Quarter adopted me."

"I see... I'm sorry to hear about your parents."

"Surprising words coming from you, but thanks. Anyway, there was a day that the Royal Family was going around the city. It was one of the times that they felt there was no risk to do so. The King and Queen were addressing the crowds, their second daughter still young and sticking by the Queen's side. Meanwhile there was an area for the children to meet and play with the first daughter."

"And you met her there?"

"In a way, yes. But it didn't happen normally. Understandably, some of the other kids were jealous of Honoka-sama's status. She was nice to everyone, but that didn't change their minds. They were bullying her. I thought some of the things they were calling her were very cruel, so I attacked them. Of course, it doesn't look good for a child from the Lower Quarter to attack children from noble families."

"So they assumed you were the problem?"

Rin nodded. "But Honoka-sama spoke up before they took me. Whether or not they wanted to believe that I didn't do anything, they couldn't argue with her. Of course, they dismissed the idea of the noble children starting anything. But they left me alone after that. Honoka-sama wanted to be friends with me after that as well.

"I don't imagine that went well," Kotori said.

"Not completely. But because of what Honoka-sama kept saying for me, I got a rare offer to be part of the Knights. Of course because I was still young at the time, I wouldn't be able to go for a few years. In the meantime, the Royal Family arranged that I come to the castle to play with Honoka-sama."

"Really? But it doesn't seem like you two are close for childhood friends."

"Well... that arrangement only lasted for a few months. It was around the time for Honoka to start learning her duties as a princess, so she got busier. Eventually my trips to the castle ended and I was back to staying in the Lower Quarter until I was old enough to train with the Knights."

"Ah... I see..."

Rin smiled. "It wasn't bad though. Honoka-sama even came when I passed the graduation test. She at least remembered me, even if we didn't get to be close friends."

"She doesn't seem like the kind of person to forget a friend, princess or not," Kotori said.

"Yeah..."

_"What is that?!"_ Maria cried out.

Rin and Kotori turned around as soon as they heard the maid. The sight they were greeted with was far from pleasant. Hovering across the spring from where Honoka and Maria sat was a gigantic monster. The body by itself was about four times their size, with colorful wings almost the same size. There was a blade on either of its front legs, and a tail with stinger like a scorpion.

The monster swung its tail at Honoka and Maria. Neither could react fast enough to evade. Instead, Honoka pulled Maria close and quickly chanted a shield spell. The shield absorbed most of the impact from the monster, but they were still knocked over.

"Honoka-sama!"

Rin dashed forward almost immediately. She threw a pair of knives at the monster. She knew it wouldn't harm it much, she just wanted to distract the monster. They did exactly that, as the monster turned in her direction as she stood at the edge of the spring. Enraged, it swung its tail down at Rin.

Rin didn't evade, and Kotori watched as the tail crushed Rin. Or, it should have crushed her, if it was really her.

"An illusion?"

Even the monster had paused in surprise. Then it let out a painful noise, and Rin could be seen on its back. She stabbed a few more daggers into the monster's back before jumping off. As she landed, a series of explosions were set off from the monster's back. The amount of explosions left a cloud of smoke surrounding the monsters.

"Not bad," Kotori said as she joined the other three where Honoka and Maria were knocked to. "Not normal combat from a knight though."

"Maybe next time I can tell you exactly how I graduated," Rin said, smiling at Kotori. Then she looked at Honoka. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," Honoka responded. "The shield absorbed most of the hit, so-"

Before she could finish, a cry was heard from the cloud of smoke. With its powerful wings, the monster blew away the cloud of smoke.

"But... there's no way it survived that," Rin said in disbelief.

"Perhaps this is the true curse of the forest," Maria suggested.

"It doesn't matter. Right now we need to escape," Kotori stated.

"She's right," Rin agreed. "We're not fully recovered, we can't fight this."

Rin and Kotori helped Honoka and Maria to their feet. Rin pulled a couple of smoke bombs from her pouch, throwing them at the monster. The monster used one of its wings to shield itself, but the smoke was all they needed. As best as they could, they ran to the right of the spring.

They didn't know if they were running in the right direction. All that mattered to them right now was escaping from the monster. Though it didn't sound like they were being pursued by it, they did not look back anyway. By some luck or miracle, they were out of the forest exactly where they needed to be. They ended up on the opposite side of the forest from where they entered.

"Somehow, we made it," Maria said.

"But what was that monster?" Rin asked. "It was completely different from every other monster in this area."

Kotori shook her head. "I don't know. I didn't encounter it when I passed through with Onii-sama last time."

"Well, let's get going," Rin suggested. "We should distance ourselves from this forest more."

The others agreed, and they started walking again. It had been quiet for a while, but Honoka had to speak up.

"My legs feel funny," she said.

"Do you mean they hurt?" Kotori asked, not looking back.

"Well, I guess you can say that it hurts, too."

Kotori finally turned around. "What do you-"

Her voice trailed off, causing Rin and Mario to stop.

"What is that on your legs?" Kotori asked.

"Huh?"

Honoka tilted her head, puzzled. Then she looked down at her legs. Rin and Maria also looked. They finally noticed some strange, water-like things wrapped around Honoka's legs. They were constantly moving, and were a strange mix of blue and green.

"Wh- wh- what is this stuff?" Honoka stammered.

"I'm sorry, I do not know," Maria answered first. "I've never seen anything like this in anything I've read."

"Neither have I," Rin added. "And we have to know a lot of strange things for travel."

Honoka looked almost pleadingly at Kotori, as if hoping that she would know what it was. But Kotori shook her head.

"Sorry... I don't know either."

"Umm, excuse me?" came a new voice.

They all turned in the direction of the new voice. Standing there was a girl with short brown hair and purple eyes. She wore a simple white dress, brown cape, a leaf bracelet, green ribbon, and brown shoes. She also was wearing a bag with one strap across her body.

"It's dangerous to stop here in the middle of these plains," she said. "Is there something wrong?"

"Well..."

No one really knew how to answer, cause the girl to look between them. Eventually she looked to Honoka, and spotted the strange thing covering her leg. The girl's eyes widened in surprise.

"You... Did you all come from the forest?" she asked.

They nodded.

"I see... so you soaked your feet in the spring then."

"Yes..." Honoka was getting suspicious. "How did you know that?"

"Because that isn't a healing spring. It's a trap set by the monster that rules that forest."

"A trap?" Maria repeated.

The girl nodded. "Do you mind if I have a closer look?"

"Uh... sure..." Honoka answered.

The girl walked up to Honoka. First she had Honoka sit down with her legs stretched out. Then she started to closely examine the thing on Honoka's legs.

"So, what is this monster's trap meant to do?" Kotori asked out of curiosity.

"There are some chemicals mixed in with the monster's poison," the girl explained. "When inside the water, it will quickly weaken the body of whatever living thing is in the spring. It makes it easier for the monster since its prey won't be able to move after that."

"I've never heard of a monster being able to do something like that," Rin said.

"Well it's a unique monster. The only one of its kind in all of the world. Not to sound discouraging, but no one usually lives to get to tell the tale. It's pretty remarkable that you weren't trapped in the spring. It takes an incredible amount of power for one's body to fight off the poison's effects."

Suddenly a thought crossed the girl's mind. She looked back up, staring at Honoka. Then after a few moments, her eyes widened.

"No way... Ah- You're Kousaka-sama!"

"Yup, that's me," Honoka answered.

Any amount of calm immediately left the girl. "I'm so sorry I did not realize this sooner. You looked like ordinary travelers when first saw you from afar. I just assume-"

Honoka rested a hand on her shoulder, getting the girl to stop.

"It's alright," Honoka said. "No need to worry about any of that."

"I... Thank you." She bowed her head. "Please, allow me to cure you."

The girl reached into her bag, pulling out what looked at first like a wand. When she held it out, it expanded itself to the length of a staff. She brought it in front of her, holding it above Honoka's legs. As she began to chat, a spell circle drew itself around them. As she finished her spell, the things surrounding Honoka's legs suddenly turned to water and fell to the ground.

"Thank you," Honoka said, smiling. "Feels much better already!"

"Y-you're welcome. It was nothing..." the girl suddenly turned shy.

"That was a spell specially for that poison, wasn't it?" Kotori asked.

The girl nodded. "You're looking at the only other person I know to have survived that monster."

"Eh? You?" Rin couldn't help but be surprised. The girl didn't look extraordinary or anything.

"Well in any case," Maria spoke up, "You have my thanks as Honoka-sama's maid. What's your name?"

"Koizumi Hanayo. I'm a traveling healer."

"Well, Koizumi-san, here." Maria reached into her pocket, pulling out some gold coins. "Payment for your services."

Hanayo shook her head. "I don't accept pay. I help others because I want to."

"I see."

"Well, I should probably get going now."

Hanayo bowed before she turned to leave.

"Wait!" Honoka called before Hanayo could take a step. "Why don't you come along with us?"

Hanayo turned back to Honoka with a surprised look. "Eh? Come with you all?"

"That wouldn't be a bad idea," Rin said. "Having a healer could be helpful if we encounter more monsters like that."

"True," Kotori agreed. "And you're not tied down to any one city, right?"

"No, I'm not," Hanayo answered. "But would it really be okay?"

"I have no objection," Maria said.

"Then that settles it," Honoka said with a smile. "Hanayo will join us!"

"I do have a condition though," Kotori said.

They all turned to her. "What is it?" Hanayo asked.

First Kotori looked at Hanayo. "Well for you, try not to address her so formally." Then she looked at Honoka. "And we need to do something about your outfit."

Hanayo was a bit surprised by the request. Honoka on the other hand had her arms crossed.

"What's wrong with my outfit?"

"Well, the first person we run into since leaving the city was able to recognize who you are pretty easily."

"Well... what's wrong with that?"

"It means that others will be able to recognize you as well. Travelers, other knights, criminals. This little adventure of yours will get a lot harder if everyone's trying to take you for one reason or another."

"She has a point," Rin said.

"...Yeah..." Honoka gave in.

"But where are we going to get another set of clothes for Honoka-sama without someone else seeing her?" Maria asked.

"I have a spare dress," Hanayo said. She reached into her bag and pulled out another simple white dress. "Would this work?"

"Try it on," Kotori told Honoka.

Honoka took the dress from Hanayo. She looked between the four, not saying anything. While three were confused, Maria understood why Honoka was hesitant. She grabbed Honoka by the hand and started leading her back toward the forest.

"Hey, where are you two going?" Rin asked.

"To get Honoka changed," Maria replied.

"Huh?"

Maria simply gestured around as they continued walking. Rin, Kotori, and Hanayo looked around. It took them a few moments to finally realize what the issue was. They quickly followed Honoka and Maria to the edge of the forest. They broke off a bunch of bushes to make some amount of cover for Honoka. Once things were ready enough, Maria helped Honoka change while the other three stood watch.

It was a few minutes before Maria stepped out from the cover.

"Well, we're done here."

The three turned around to see Honoka reappear.

"I think that'll work," Kotori said.

"This is kind of weird to look at," Rin said, still looking over Honoka.

Kotori shrugged. "You'll have to get used to it."

"Well, are we ready to go?" Honoka asked.

"Where are we going?" Hanayo asked.

"Uh..."

"The princess here just wanted to get out of her castle," Kotori said. "She has no idea where she wants to go."

Hanayo had to look at the other three to make sure Kotori wasn't joking.

"Okay... Well, I was originally heading to Hamil. How about we go there until we figure something else out?"

"That's a good idea," Maria said. "We can rest and stock up on supplies as well."

"Well what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Honoka exclaimed.

With newfound energy, the party left the forest a second time, heading in the direction of the city of flowers.

* * *

**Hey guys, nobodD here!**

**My referencing is just horrible and I should stop but I'm bad with names so I continue... Haha **_*bows apologetically*_

**First time I had to write fight scenes before. How were they? Any suggestions for future scenes? I'd love to hear from you all.**

**As far as all this backstory-ing goes, Rin will be the last of the party to have a history with Honoka. Maria has a deeper story that will be brought up later. Otherwise, anyone else that knows Honoka will only know her as the princess, like Hanayo.**

**Speaking of which, the next character to join will also be a magic-user. I encourage guessing X3.**

**So truth be told, this chapter has been done for nearly a week now. I was originally going to wait for my friend, who wanted to draw pictures of the characters to go along with the story. Unlike what I usually do with finding fanart online and using it as reference, my friend was going to draw closely to what I imagined the characters would look like. I really want you guys to see it at least once, so I'll have them done and uploaded eventually. Patience please.**

**I had more to say I think but they have long since disappeared from my mind. So I'll end here. See you next time~ (heart)**


	7. Trouble in Hamil

**lychee-ran: Well a lot of names just generally come from the "Tales of" series of games. But Tales of Vesperia is where the world is based off of. There's no way I could've thought all this out myself X3 And yeah, I like that they're someone OoC. Makes it more interesting in my opinion. And I never thought of using Maria as part of a side pairing. That could have some potential.**

**Satuski Rin: Well the thing with the fake spring I was trying to go for is that, since there's a lot of magic potential in Honoka, the magic in her body was helping in trying to prevent the trap effects from taking over. Which is why she didn't notice until later as she was more tired. It's honestly a one-off thing and I don't even know if it'll come up again so X3 I may sneak a scene with Honoka and Kotori like that sometime later. Maybe. As I answered to lychee-ran, it's all from the "Tales of" series of games. Namely here, Vesperia, Graces, and Xillia. Though the fighting styles/classes are partly reference/partly just my imagination. **

***Disclaimer: I do NOT own Love Live!**

* * *

It was a fair amount of walking before they reached Hamil. It quickly became clear to them how Hamil got its name. Aside from the giant sakura tree resting atop the hill, there was almost no place you could look without seeing some type of flower. The buildings were covered with tree bark, almost as if the buildings were trees as well.

As they were admiring the beautiful city, they did not notice a hurried set of footsteps approaching nearby. The next thing she knew, Honoka found herself knocked onto the ground. The hurried figure only loss balance for a moment as they kept running forward. Honoka caught a brief glimpse of the person as they looked back. It turned out to be a girl. But that's all Honoka could see, as she was covered in a grey cloak.

"Sorry!" she yelled back at Honoka as she continued running.

"H-hey!" Maria called, recovering from her moment of surprise. But the girl didn't turn back again.

"Are you okay?" Kotori asked, walking over to Honoka.

"I think so..."

Kotori extended her hand, and Honoka accepted the gesture. Kotori pulled Honoka back onto her feet. Honoka then started inspecting herself.

"Doesn't look like anything happened to the dress either."

"That's what you're worried about?" Kotori asked.

Honoka put her hands on her hips. "Well it would be bad if the dress was ruined while I'm borrowing it, right?"

Kotori let out a defeated sigh.

"I don't really mind." Hanayo said. "Anyway, we should continue to the inn."

Everyone agreed, starting to feel the pain in their bodies. Hanayo led the way to the inn, and were able to rent a room without issue once inside. When they entered their room, Honoka immediately collapsed onto the nearest bed. The others spread out to the other bed and the chairs in the room, welcome the chance to sit down.

"This feels so nice," Honoka sighed contently

"You really haven't traveled before, have you?" Kotori asked.

"Well, given who Kousaka-sama-" Hanayo started, but corrected herself when Kotori glanced at her. "...Who _Honoka_ really is, it's not that surprising."

"It's definitely a lot different from training back in the castle," Honoka commented.

"Well, now we have a place to rest for now," Maria concluded, then stood from where she was sitting.

"Where are you going?" Rin asked.

"To get supplies before we set off again."

"Let me go with you," Hanayo said. "I know which shops give you good deals."

"Thanks, that would be a great help."

Maria waited for Hanayo to catch up before they left the room.

"Well, what should we-" Rin started to ask.

As she looked at the bed, she saw Honoka laying on her side and curled into a ball. Her eyes were closed, her breathing both steady and gentle.

"She's asleep already?"

"Not a bad idea," Kotori said. "I could use a quick nap myself."

Rin sighed. "Maybe I should have gone shopping with them."

"Well if you're that restless, you can still catch up to them."

Rin glared. "No offense, but I still don't trust you enough to be alone with... with _Honoka_."

"Suit yourself."

Kotori shrugged. She folded her arms in front of her and slumped in her chair. She closed her eyes and lowered her head, steadying her breathing. Rin watched with some interest.

"I know you're just faking it, but I'll give you a chance this time."

Rin made her way across the room to the door and left. There was silence as her footsteps disappeared further down the hallway.

"I really was trying to sleep, though," Kotori said to herself.

She sighed and opened her eyes again. She nearly jumped at the sight that greeted her. It was Honoka, still laying on the bed, but her eyes open again and fixed on Kotori's. She had that same bright and gentle smile she had witnessed once before, the previous night at the castle.

"It must be hard on you," Honoka said.

"What are you talking about?" Kotori asked.

"Having to be around people who don't trust you."

"Oh, that. Not really. I'm used to it already."

The smile disappeared from Honoka's face. "Why's that?"

"Life isn't as easy as it is living in Zenethra. Especially where I'm from."

"You mean Dahngrest?"

Kotori nodded. "Most people respect and look up to my family and our clan. But there are a few people here and there that would rather have us out of the picture. I've grown with it all my life."

"I see... That's unfortunate."

Kotori shrugged. "You get used to it, I suppose."

Honoka rolled onto her back, looking up at the ceiling. "You know, we're kind of the same in that way."

"Why do you say that."

"Just because my family rules the kingdom, doesn't mean that everyone agrees with it. And being next in line, I make just as good a target as my parents."

"But isn't that why you have the Knights and your maids?"

"I suppose. But I still had to be weary of people, and was trapped in the castle for protection."

"Yet, you still went and asked me to take your exploring, despite that and our families."

"I admit, it was a risk, but," Honoka faced Kotori again. "You agreed to it, didn't you?"

"Yeah... so...? I could have just used you to escape, then hand you over to my parents."

"But you won't."

Kotori raised an eyebrow. "What makes you so sure?"

"Because I know you're not like that deep down. You would've done something to me the moment I opened your cell if you were."

Kotori couldn't respond right away. She adjusted her gaze, staring out the window. "That's a pretty reckless assumption."

"Maybe, but I trust my instincts. And my instincts tell me to trust you, too."

"Trust, huh..." Kotori didn't look away from the window. "Thanks," she almost whispered.

She couldn't see, but Honoka was smiling again.

* * *

"Wait up!"

Maria and Hanayo just reached the bottom of the staircase when a voice called out. They turned to see Rin hurrying to them.

"Will you be joining us?" Hanayo asked

Rin nodded, taking a moment to catch her breath. Maria looked back to the inn, her features shifting slightly.

"We have to give her a chance to prove herself," Rin said, reading the maid's expression.

"I suppose you're right," Maria agreed. "..._Honoka..._ seems to trust her after all."

"Well, let's get going shall we?" Hanayo suggested.

The other two agreed and they started off again. They walked side by side, with Hanayo directing them until they found the shops. There were only a few stalls set up in a semi-circle with some distance between each stall.

"Well this isn't the capital," Hanayo said. "It's the best they can do."

"Welcome, welcome! What will it be?" One of the shopkeepers greeted as they approached.

"What do you have in the way of traveling supplies?" Maria asked.

The shopkeeper's mood dropped slightly. "Unfortunately, most of our potions were recently bought up. There's little left. But! We have some quality materials from the capital if you know how to synthesize potions. We also have some weapons, armors, a couple of camping sets."

"Thank you," the three chorused, bowing their heads.

"Of course. Come to me if you need any more help."

They walked away and headed for one of the stall. Hanayo was familiar with Hamil, and knew where they could find everything already.

"We shouldn't spend too much," Rin suggested. "It might seem suspicious to spend more than what most people carry here."

The three bounced between the stalls. With that budget in mind, they were able to buy a few of the synthesis materials, some food, and three camping sets.

"This should be enough for now," Maria said. "Let's head back to-"

Just then, an explosion was heard. It came from the direction of the inn.

* * *

_This girl is almost like a little kid,_ Kotori thought.

It had only been a couple of minutes since the others left. After their conversation had finished, Honoka had jumped off the bed, saying that she wanted to walk around the city. She was faking being asleep earlier, so it surprised Kotori that Honoka was already rested and ready to go.

"Have you been to Hamil before?" Honoka asked.

Kotori shook her head. "Onii-sama and I were trying to reach the Capital as quickly as possible. Hamil was too far out of the way."

"I see. Well we're here now! Let's go see the sakura tree!"

Not waiting for a response, Honoka grabbed Kotori by the hand and hurried forward. They weaved through a few small crowds on their way up the hill. Honoka let go once they reached the top of the hill. They both looked up in awe. The sun shining behind, the petals falling gently to the ground. The whole scene was just beautiful.

"You konw, I read taht some people believe the petals from this tree can grant wishes," Honoka said, not taking her eyes away from the tree.

"Heh, wouldn't that be something if it were true," Kotori responded.

"I believe it."

That didn't surprise Kotori, but she didn't say anything. She was starting to get tired looking straight up, so she started looking around the area of the base of the tree. She saw something that caught her attention.

"Hey, someone's trying to ruin your magic tree."

Honoka finally looked away from the tree, looking at Kotori with a pout.

"I'm not a kid you know!"

"No, look."

Kotori pointed to somewhere behind Honoka, who turned around to follow along. Then she understood what Kotori meant. She spotted a figure by the tree, sitting on their heels. They were holding a flask with a strange colored liquid in it. There were sakura petals scattered across the entire city, but there were large piles of petals piled nearby the figure. They poured the liquid over one of them. After what seemed like nothing happening, the figure put down the flask, and picked up another sitting nearby.

Though, what caught Honoka's attention the most wasn't anything the figure was doing. It was the cloak the figure wore. It was a normal grey cloak, but it was familiar.

"Uh, Honoka?" Kotori called.

It surprised the ash-blond that Honoka suddenly started walking forward. Though it seemed her mind was set, because she didn't acknowledge Kotori at all. Kotori sighed inwardly, hoping nothing was about to happen other than a conversation, before following the princess.

The cloaked figure didn't seem to notice when Honoka and Kotori first walked up. Honoka gave five seconds before realizing the figure was too focused in their work.

"Excuse me?"

That got the figure's attention, and they turned to face Honoka. Seeing the face, Honoka confirmed her suspicion. It was the girl that she bumped into earlier. Somehow Honoka knew it was her, even though it was the first time she really got to see the girl's features.

She had short, red hair that fell to her shoulders. Underneath the goggles the girl wore were a pair of violet eyes, now widening as she recognized Honoka.

"Ah- You're the girl from earlier," she stated, a red tint growing on her cheeks. "I, uh... Sorry about bumping into you like that. I was in a bit of a hurry."

Honoka shook her head. "That's alright. I should have been watching where I was going as well. What are you doing there?"

"Oh, this? Well you know how someone just miraculously fixed the sakura tree? I was-"

"Fixed the tree? Did something happen to it?" Kotori asked.

The girl looked puzzled. "You didn't hear about it? It was just this week."

"Well I'm from the ca-" Honoka was about to say.

Kotori covered Honoka's mouth as quickly as she could. "We aren't from around here," she finished.

"I-I see..." the girl said. "Well, a few days ago, something happened to the sakura tree. It was dying, and the barrier around Hamil was failing as a result. Many mages from Acardia came to try and fix it, but with no luck. I had been working in my lab, and thought I figured out a solution. But once I got here, the tree was back to normal. No one even knew how. They just said someone passed by and did some crazy magic that fixed everything."

"That's... quite a tale," Honoka said, taking it all in.

"It's lucky that the tree was fixed quickly," Kotori said. "If the barrier was down for too long and monsters got here..."

"But some mages were here already, so they could have defended the city."

"Not mages from Arcadia," the girl said. "Arcadia is a scholarly city. Everyone's more into books and research. A child could beat most of them in a magic duel."

"So, you've beaten the entire city in a duel?" Kotori asked.

Honoka shot her a glance. "Kotori that isn't-"

The girl crossed her arms. "I may look young, but I'll have you know-"

"Stop!"

Honoka's yell surprised both of them. The irritation they were feeling from each other disappeared as quickly as it flared up. Honoka turned herself fully to face Kotori.

"Honestly, do you have to try picking fights with people? First Rin, now this?"

"Hey, in my defense, I didn't say anything when we met Koizumi," Kotori said.

Honoka didn't respond, but she placed her hands on her hips, continuing her gaze on Kotori. Eventually Kotori gave in.

"Alright, alright. I'll try to be nicer in the future."

Honoka smiled. "Thanks."

"Umm... Am I interrupting something?" the girl asked, reminding the two that she was still there.

"N-no, nothing," Honoka answered, turning back to the girl. "By the way, you never answered my question."

The girl tilted her head slightly. "Question? Oh, what I was doing here." She indicated some flasks sitting on the ground where she was previously. "Like I said, I thought I had found some solutions to fix the tree, but I never got to try them since it was fixed when I got back. I still want to know if I was onto something, so I've been trying them anyway."

"On the petals?" Kotori asked. "But they're back to normal, aren't they? How would you test if you could bring them back to life when they're already alive?"

The girl stood silent for a few moments. "Uh..."

"...You didn't realize that?"

She started playing with her red hair, twirling the end with her finger, and looked away. "I... I would've figured something out."

"Well, well... Look what we have here," came a new voice.

All three of them turned. A little ways away from them stood a small group of men. Kotori counted five of them, none of them very friendly looking. Though she noted they weren't looking toward her or Honoka, but to the red-haired girl they've been talking to.

"Yeah, I recognize her," one of the men in the back said. "She's the one."

"So you're the one who messed up our friend?" The man in front, probably the leader, asked.

"W-what are you talking about?" The redhead asked.

"Come on. It shouldn't be hard to figure out the last person you sent flying. He wears a jacket like this."

Kotori looked over, seeing the girl's eyes go wide as she recognized the clothing. Apparently the men noticed as well.

"So you remember now? Good. And since you're an Arcadian mage, you won't mind if we teach you a little lesson."

The man took a step forward, and the girl took a step back as a response. Instinctively, Honoka stepped in front of the redhead. "I don't think so."

"H-hey," Kotori whispered. "This isn't our business to be messing with."

But Honoka kept a determine look toward the small gang.

"Look Miss, we don't want to hurt an innocent person if we don't have to. But if you don't hand her over, we'll have to rough you up to."

"I'd like to see you try," Honoka dared.

_It's going to cause a scene if a fight breaks out,_ Kotori thought. She sighed. _Now's not the time to be worrying about that._

Kotori moved behind Honoka and the other girl, reaching for a few of the flasks on the ground. She picked up three, grabbing them by the ends between her fingers. Then, as if they were knives, she threw them toward the group. They exploded mid-air on top of the group, causing a colorful mess of smoke as the glass shattered with the explosion.

"H-hey! What did-" the girl yelled in surprise.

"No time," Kotori interrupted.

Kotori grabbed both Honoka and the girl's hand, turning and starting to run. Both the other girls nearly fell from suddenly being pulled, but they quickly found their footing and ran in step with Kotori.

Not knowing where else to go in a hurry, Kotori led them back to the inn. They had to slow down at the entrance in order to try and look less suspicious. They went inside they went straight for their room, with the redhead following them.

"Wh- what was that all about?" Honoka asked.

"I... uh... may have lost my temper and launched one of their friends," the redhead replied.

"Launched them?" Kotori repeated.

"Well, he was playing with my stuff and he wouldn't leave me alone. I warned him but he kept going. So I blasted him away with a spell."

Kotori raised an eyebrow. "Sounds impressive."

"Not bad for a kid, huh?" The redhead was smirking.

"Perhaps. What's your name?"

"Nishikino Maki."

"Well, Nishikino-san, you should probably get moving soon. Unless you want those guys to find you."

"Why doesn't she come with us?" Honoka suggested.

Kotori shot her a glance. "This again?"

"Think about it. They know she's a mage from Arcadia. Even if they don't find her here, they know where she'll return to."

"... You do have a point." Kotori turned to Maki. "Well? How about it then?"

"Well... it's true they might find me back home... But would it be alright?"

"Of course!" Honoka responded first. "Right?"

"Well, as long as you're okay with it." Kotori looked at Maki. "You can fend for yourself, right?"

"Do you need more proof?" Maki asked.

"Then we just have to wait and ask-"

The three turned as the door was suddenly thrown open as if on cue, with Maria, Rin, and Hanayo rushing into the room.

"H-Honoka-sama, are you alright?" Maria asked between breaths.

"I'm fine, Maria-chan," Honoka said, smiling to try and comfort her maid.

"_Honoka-sama?_" Maki asked.

Maria covered her mouth, eyes wide as she realized her mistake too late. "Ah- no- I mean-"

But Maki ignored the maid and turned to the ginger in question. "Your maid address you by your first name?"

Everyone silently sighed in relief, realizing Maki didn't discover Honoka's real identity.

"A-ah, yes. We've known each other for a long time, so it feels weird for her to address me by family name," Honoka told Maki. Then she turned to the other three. "Why do you all look out of breath?"

"Well that's because we just heard what seemed like an explosion," Hanayo explained. "So we rushed to see if you were involved."

"Thanks for the concern," Kotori said sarcastically.

"Please, you just love bragging about how you can care for yourself," Rin countered, to which Kotori just shrugged.

"Well, we were involved," Kotori informed. "Which leads to what I have to say next. We need to move, quickly."

Rin narrowed her eyes. "What did you do?"

"Wait Rin, Kotori didn't do anything wrong," Honoka spoke up. "Some guys showed up and were about to her Maki here," she indicated the redhead, "but Kotori allowed us to escape."

"Well, I should really thank you," Kotori said to Rin. "They were your smoke bombs, after all."

Rin gave her a confused look while she reached a hand to one of her belt pouches, then her expression changed. "H-hey when did you-"

"When you left earlier. Does it matter? It helped us escape in the end. But we have to move before they catch up to us."

"So does that mean we're taking..." Maria started, then looked uncertainly to Maki.

It took Maki only a second to realize the issue. "Nishikino Maki."

Maria nodded. "So does that mean Nishikino-san will be joining us?"

"Wasn't that obvious by now?" Kotori was growing a bit impatient. "Come on!"

There were still questions that everyone had for each other, but for now they decided to follow Kotori's urging. Kotori and Honoka grabbed the traveling bags they brought. Maki had told them she needed to get her stuff from one of the inn rooms, so she ran out first. They met back up with her outside the inn, and once they were together, they left Hamil without a second thought.

* * *

**Hey guys, nobodD here!**

**Surprise(I think)! The mage and newest member of the party is Maki-chan! Although I understand why a lot of people thought it would be Nozomi. There are a few reasons for Maki being the mage and Nozomi for her "class" later on, and when Nozomi is introduced I'll explain it fully. But for now, this is how things are.**

**Oh and don't worry. Maki will get a chance to show off her magic next chapter. Oh yes she will.**

**I do have final exams soon, but seriously, who studies? This is far more important anyway X3 Also I just always feel bad for not updating more frequently. It's okay though! A few more weeks and that's not as much of an issue.**

**Okay I'm done rambling. Leave comments as always and I hope to see you next time!**


	8. Morning Ambush

**lychee-ran: I honestly can't answer the alchemist question straight, eheh... Maybe you'll get an answer through this chapter. I guess that's true that the classes are mostly unexpected. They made sense in my head though. X3 I've always seen Maki as both Tsundere and brainy, so that's kind of how she is here. Also, no party member will be introduced in this chapter. But as for next chapter, we shall see! (I feel bad for all this ambiguity but I'm not one to spoil things for readers.) Unexpected good/bad? Don't worry, 5 girls down, 4 to go. Then the decision I guess X3 haha.**

**Satsuki Rin: I know my story telling needs work... haha. Yeah, the characters are going to be OoC a lot, I don't know if I can do anything about that X3 And that last bit reminds me I left something out that also matters to Maki's character in this story. Thanks!**

***Disclaimer: I do NOT own Love Live!**

* * *

By the time the group felt they were far enough from Hamil and in the opposite direction of Arcadia, it was dark out. Luckily for them, the trio that went shopping had bought three camping sets, because they had wanted a spare set for an emergency. They started a fire and set up the three tents. They left their other stuff outside the tents, except for Honoka and Maria.

Once they finished with the tents, they gathered around the fire to discuss the next order of business. Kotori, Rin, Maki, and Hanayo were looking between each other.

"So... How are we going to do this?" Kotori asked what they were all thinking.

"I... don't mind who it is, as long as it's agreed upon," Hanayo spoke up.

"Same here," Maki agreed.

"Me as well, though I would like to avoid being with _her_ if I can help it," Rin said, indicating Kotori.

"Still acting like that?" Kotori asked.

"Don't get me wrong, you've done enough to prove yourself. But not everything is going to change in a day. I'm still a little weary of you."

Maki and Hanayo exchanged glances, wondering why Kotori and Rin were acting this way toward each other. Honoka was fighting, and losing, to stay awake, while Maria just sighed. The maid figured this had dragged on long enough, and finally spoke up.

"How about this? Minami-san and Nishikino-san will share a tent, while Koizumi-san and Hoshizora-san will share the other. Does that work for everyone?"

"The four exchanged glances. "I guess that works," Rin answered for everyone.

"Good. Now that that's taken care of, we're going to sleep." Maria got up and then helped Honoka to her feet. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight everyone," Honoka said sleepily. "Be nice to each other, okay?"

Maria led the sleepy princess into their tent.

"So, what exactly happened in Hamil?" Rin asked. Aside from saying each other's names, not much else was said since they left the city.

"Well, _someone_ has a short temper and blasted someone away before we had met her," Kotori said. Maki lowered her head. "His friends wanted to get her back for that. If Honoka didn't step in first, they would have."

"Why did you do that to him in the first place?" Hanayo asked.

"He was harassing me," Maki explained. "I asked him to stop but he wouldn't leave me alone."

"Sounds like he had it coming," Rin commented.

Maki turned to Rin. "That's a bit surprising to hear from a Knight."

Rin shrugged. "I know that the Knights stationed in this Izolle aren't very capable of their duties. Usually nothing major happens here, so they don't have to be."

"So some grow lazy to do anything at all," Kotori guessed, to which Rin nodded.

"But not all Knights are like that, right?" Hanayo asked. "Most of the ones I've encountered were really nice and helpful."

"For the most part Knights fulfill their duties, like helping others," Rin answered. "Unfortunately, they'll follow orders to a fault."

"Isn't that a good thing?" Maki wondered.

Rin shook her head. "Not when some of the commanding officers are corrupt."

"Corrupt?" Kotori repeated.

"Corrupt. Manipulating the Knights under their command to occasionally steal or do shady jobs to further their own wealth and power."

"I guess it's not really surprising that those things happen here as well. People are too easily consumed by power and greed." Kotori sighed.

"How did you find all this out?" Hanayo asked.

"Well, it doesn't seem like she's a regular Knight," Maki pointed out.

Rin raised an eyebrow. "How did you figure that out?"

"You don't speak like you associate yourself with normal Knights. Your choice of equipment is pretty unique as well."

"Pretty observant. You're right. I'm not a regular Knight. I'm part of a special unit of the Knights that directly serves the Royal Family. Because of that we don't follow normal orders."

"I've never heard of a unit like that."

"Of course not. It's a secret unit, with very few members, specially formed for the Royal Family. We gather information from everywhere in Izolle, which is why we know of the corrupt Knight commanders."

"Why hasn't the King done anything about it then, if he knows about the corruption?"

Rin sighed. "Because they're not actually breaking any laws. They aren't making the Knights they command do anything out of line."

"That's sickening," Kotori said.

"Before she left, our unit's leader was working with the King on solutions."

"But while she's gone, those will have to wait," Maki concluded.

"Kotori got up and stretched. "Well, not like this isn't fun, but not sleeping last night and today's activities are really catching up to me."

Maki covered her mouth to yawn. "I'm getting sleepy, too."

"We all are," Rin agreed. "Should someone keep watch then?"

"No need," Hanayo said.

She stood up, drawing her staff. She held it in front of her, a white spell circle forming on the ground around her. She recited a short incantation, then turned the spell loose. The circle changed the inscriptions along the inside, and expanded until their campsite was inside. The glowing faded, though the white was still visible. Hanayo shrank the staff back to the size of a wand and tucked it away.

"Simple travel barrier," she explained. "It will keep anything from entering or exiting, aside from air, and lasts until the camping sets are packed away."

"I don't know if that counts as _simple_, but it is very useful. Thanks," Kotori said.

They said their goodnights and split into their shared tents. Although she usually doesn't like the idea of sleeping on the ground, Kotori welcomed the chance to lay down and rest.

"Hey... Minami-san?" Maki whispered.

Kotori turned to face Maki. "Hm?"

"Th-thanks for stepping in like that, back in Hamil."

"Don't mention it. It was mainly to stop Honoka from doing something stupid, anyway."

"Still, you have my thanks."

Although it was dark, Maki could tell that Kotori was smiling.

"Don't worry," Kotori reassured her. "We'll stay in the area for a few days then take you home."

"Home?"

"Yeah, back to Arcadia. Your parents must be worried about you."

"I'm not that young you know." Kotori heard Maki sigh. "And... My parents have been dead since I was five, which was ten years ago."

"O-oh... I'm sorry."

"It's okay, it's not like you knew beforehand."

"Still... Is that why you were okay with joining us out of the blue?"

"Yeah... I've lived alone all this time... I kind of wanted the company."

"I see. Well if you don't mind, you're welcome to stay with us."

"Thanks, Minami-san."

"Kotori."

"...Huh?"

"You can call me Kotori if you'd like. I think we're pretty much friends after this, right?"

"T-then you can call me Maki."

"Heh, goodnight Maki."

"Wait, can we keep this between us? At least for a while?"

"Not ready to tell the others yet?"

"Y-yeah..."

"Then that's fine. Your secret is safe with me."

"Thanks... Goodnight Kotori."

Kotori finally let her muscles relax. _Friends? Jeeze that princess is starting to rub off on me,_ she thought before finally surrendering herself to sleep.

* * *

A very pleasant scent woke Kotori from her slumber the following morning.

She tried to move, but found something was restricting her movements. She did her best to turn over. It turned out to be Maki that was partially laying on top of Kotori. Maki's left leg and arm were what held her down. With some amount of effort, Kotori managed to remove herself from the redhead's hold. She took a moment to stretch before stepping outside of her tent.

To her surprise, it was earlier in the morning than she was expecting. The sun had just barely risen past the hill off in the distance, so it was still a bit dark out. One of the exceptions to that is the campfire set up from yesterday which was started again. That's where the wonderful scent was coming from, and that's where she found a certain princess.

Honoka was on her knees next to the campfire. Above the fire was a metal tray held up by some poles. They were from Hanayo's pack, to be a sort of stove top to allow them to cook.

"Ah, good morning Kotori," Honoka greeted, looking up.

"Good morning," Kotori returned as she took a spot near the fire. "I have to say I'm a little surprised you can cook."

"It's only simple things. Between every other responsibility I had, I never really got to learn."

"Well, it smells pretty good."

"Really? It's just eggs and toast, though."

"I haven't had a cooked meal in days. Anything warm smells good right now."

Kotori's stomach made a sound in agreement, causing her to look away from Honoka who couldn't suppress a giggle. She reached over to grab a plate. She put the egg she scrambled onto the plate, followed by two pieces of toast.

"Here you go," she said, holding the plate out.

"Thanks," Kotori said, accepting the plate. "So anyway, what are you doing up so early?"

"I usually wake up early. Although it was a bit uncomfortable for me to sleep last night as well."

"Well, sleeping on the ground is a lot different than sleeping on a nice, comfy bed."

"True. It doesn't help that Maria-chan rolls around in her sleep."

"Oh? Sounded fun in your tent."

"Hey!"

Honoka's pout meant it was Kotori's turn to giggle at the other's teasing. After she felt like she got the princess back enough, Kotori started eating. She took her first bite.

"Mmm, not bad."

"You think so?"

"Yeah. Nothing too fancy, but it's still good."

"Thank goodness." Honoka seemed to be back to normal already.

"Good morning, you two."

They both turned to see Hanayo as she appeared from her tent.

"Good morning," they both greeted.

"I used your stuff to start making breakfast. I hope that's okay," Honoka said.

"That's fine," Hanayo said. "Is there some ready for me?"

"Yeah, let me just get-"

A loud roar interrupted Honoka before she could finish her thought. The three quickly turned in the direction they heard the noise. At first they didn't see anything, until they looked up. Against the sun they saw the silhouette of a large, unmistakable creature.

"A-a dragon?!" came Hanayo's startled voice.

"That can't be right. What would a dragon be doing all the way here in Izolle?" Kotori questioned. "Will this barrier hold it off?"

Hanayo shook her head. "I don't know. When do we ever have dragons here in Izolle?"

"Hey, it's coming straight for us!" Honoka exclaimed.

Kotori got the answer to her question moments later. The dragon breathed fire aimed directly at them, but the flames only made contact with the barrier and were brushed off to either side. But the dragon was still in a dive directly at them. It crashed into the barrier, completely shattering it and shaking the ground as it pulled up back into the air.

"What's going on out here?"

It was Maria that appeared from the tent, already with her revolver out and a spellcard glowing, ready to go. Her appearance was a little messy, indicating she had literally jumped up as soon as she woke up, something she was trained to do.

Her eyes scanned the area, not finding the problem until she heard another roar. Then she saw the dragon in the sky as it looped around to head straight for them again. And for the first time, Kotori saw hesitation and fear in the maid's eyes.

The dragon was closing in, faster than the first attack. With the way Maria was, there was no chance for anyone to attack before it reached them.

_"...Annihilate the vulgar before me. __**[Spiral Flare]**__!"_

In an instant, a trio of roaring flames flew forward. The flames were fast, giving the dragon no time to move. It was quickly engulfed in the spell, and soon fell onto the ground with a loud thud.

Kotori again looked toward the tents. It was Maki who had cast the spell, her weapon out already. _A scroll_, Kotori noted. She knew mages used all kinds of items to channel their magic. Typical they were wands or staves, like Hanayo. But this had been the first time she saw a scroll.

"Remind me not to get on your bad side," Kotori said.

"Don't thank me yet," Maki responded.

Looking back toward the dragon, they saw a figure stand up, just barely visible as the sun was a little higher. In a moment the figure broke into a full sprint toward them. A spell circle formed around Maki, glowing blue.

_"Oh frozen blades, fly sharply across the heavens."_

Maki spun once, twice, three times as she chanted, letting her scroll circle around her as if dancing with a ribbon. From the spell circle rose three blue rings, the middle being the same size as the circle while the top and bottom rings were smaller, resembling the shape of a sphere.

_"__**[Freeze Lancer]**__!"_

The spell turned loose, and frozen spears flew forward at a very quick speed. They should have been right on target, but the figure easily avoided them and continued their dash forward. Hanayo stepped forward, her weapon drawn to staff-length and held out in front of her.

_"Oh enduring protection, __**[Barrier]**__"_

Light emitted from her staff and formed a shield in front of her. It materialized just in time as the figure had risen a weapon and brought it down in striking distance. It was a spear, Kotori saw as it met Hanayo's barrier. She couldn't make out much of the figure, other than they were lightly armored and had a mask covering their face.

Suddenly the figure jumped backwards. Within the next moment Rin was where the figure once stood, just barely missing her strike on the stranger.

_"__**[Stalagmite]**__"_

As the figure landed, the ground underneath shot up and sent them flying backwards. The figured disappeared mid-air, and reappeared on the ground, completely unharmed.

"Now I'm getting mad," Maki said. _"__**[Spread Zero]**__!"_

A dark sphere appeared in front of the figure. It exploded in the next moment, before the figure could try and evade. They flew backwards, finally hitting the ground. A loud crack indicated that part of their armor had cracked. But the figure disappeared, already hard to see with how far away they had gotten from the group along with the low morning light.

"Maki!"

It was Honoka who screamed as she ran toward the mage. She tackled the red head to the ground, just as a spear stabbed the ground where she just stood. Just as quickly as the spear had struck, it vanished. In the next moment Kotori felt a presence behind her. She moved just in time as a spear came slicing the air at her.

She only caught a glimpse of the figure before they disappeared yet again.

"This is getting ridiculous," Maria said, over her initial fear and was now annoyed. _"Spread Sign, __**[Rocket in Mist]**__!"_

The spellcard in her hand flashed, her revolver glowing, and in the next second there were rings of bullets surrounding them. They circled around and flew outwards in every direction. As soon as they did they heard the loud sound of bullets hitting metal, and the figure could be seen back in the direction of the dragon. By this point the dragon had recovered from Maki's spell, getting back up. The figure leapt onto it's back and the dragon took to the air in the next instance.

_"Oh flickering blaze burn, __**[Fire Ball]**__"_

Maki casted one last spell. Compared to her others, it was the weakest she used so far, and was more of a warning to make sure the dragon and its rider didn't turn back.

"And don't come back," Maki said.

"Do you know that person?" Honoka asked. They were both still on the floor.

"No, I just hate dragons."

"Why?"

"Well..."

"How about we wait until later to ask about that," Kotori suggested. "Right now we should get moving. We don't know if that person has any back-up."

"That's a good idea," Rin agreed. "Let's hurry up and pack the tents away."

Maria and Hanayo were able to deconstruct the tents and put them away very easily. The other four gathered the bags. Without wasting any time, they were on the move once again.

* * *

**Hey guys, nobodD here!**

**Okay first off, thank you Satsuki Rin! I had this chapter nearly done but read your review and realized I was missing the very important part of addressing Maki's back story. That would have been bad for me to forget X3. *Phew* Saved me there.**

**The mysterious figure that attacked our heroes might seem random now, but trust me it's important. Just like the little conversation around the campfire about the Knights was important too. But yes it was partly to show off Maki and Hanayo's combat roles. By the way, does the way I do the fighting and special moves make sense? Let me know if you can please.**

**No new character joins this chapter, but one will join next chapter! I shall do my best to get it out soon. I know I've been super slow the last few months with my posts and updates in general. I'm almost done with this semester so it should pick up a little bit more soon. I won't promise much because I'm also just slow with my writing now, haha.**

**Anyway, that's it for me. Please review as usual, and I'll see you next chapter~**


	9. Her Conviction

**lychee-ran: Not really orphaned but yeah, she lost her parents and lived alone. A little more light will be shed on this later probably, because I'll probably need to. Also, that was an awesome comparisons especially because Patche is one of my favorite Touhou characters X3. The party is pretty balanced at the moment in my opinion (2 fighters, an assassin-type, 2 ranged fighters and a support mage) but yes another fighter would help. I wonder if they'll get that this chapter ;]**

**Nelura: I can't really give clear answers to your questions except that it'll take a few more chapters. Except Maki, her reasons will be a little more clear in this chapter. Also, I'm a bit confused, is the tales referencing a good/bad part of the story? **

**Satsuki Rin: Yeah I agree, it's a bit sad that Maki had to lose her parents so young. Although admittedly, I feel like out of the nine girls Maki would handle it the best aside from Nozomi. Just my opinion anyway. Oh, and your intuition is just beautiful, you know that?**

**Major Mike Powell III: Don't worry, they'll get along, eventually... without the bickering X3. Yeah... unlike Rin, Maki didn't have a nice end to her back story. It felt right for her although it wasn't any easier to write, haha. Ah, more cliffhangers and mysteries. The fun part of the start to any story X3.**

***Disclaimer: I do NOT own Love Live!**

* * *

"Okay... I think this is far enough."

Kotori's words were a blessing. Instantly, Honoka and Maki both fell to the floor, relived to be off their feet. The ground never felt so comfortable for them. Hanayo looked up, partially shielding her eyes from the sun now shining brightly across the land.

"Well, there goes our morning," she said.

"It couldn't be helped since we were suddenly attacked earlier," Maria said.

"You have a point. Well then, would anyone care for a little lunch?"

"Might as well," Kotori said. "We should be safe to rest here for a while."

"I'll help out," Maria offered, to which Hanayo nodded her agreement.

"So, what's our next step?" Rin asked as the two set up some things to the side.

"That depends." Kotori looked to Honoka.

"Eh? You want me to decide?" she asked.

"Well, you are the one that wanted to have this adventure."

"True..." Honoka knew she couldn't argue with that. "Hmm... What else is there to do on Izolle...?"

"Other than the port town, Capua Nor, there's no other city nearby," Rin pointed out.

"We really traveled that far already?" Honoka asked.

"Izolle isn't as big as you're thinking..."

"Then I think that decides that," Kotori said. "We'll head for Capua Nor and go abroad."

"Travel overseas?" Maki asked. "To another continent?"

"Yeah, is that okay?" Kotori asked Honoka.

Honoka thought for a few minutes. "Could we see your home city?"

"Dahngrest? I suppose so."

"Really? Then let's go!"

With new energy, Honoka leapt to her feet. But before she could take a step, a low rumble sounded from her stomach.

"I think someone needs some lunch first," Kotori said, fighting hard not to laugh.

Honoka's face turned red as she looked over to the ash-blond. "Not another word, please."

"Hey, after this morning I think I should enjoy this a little."

"Next time, I'm burning your breakfast."

"Hey now, no need for threats like that." Kotori walked over and playfully pat Honoka on the head.

Another grumble. "This is so embarrassing..."

Rin and Maki exchanged glances, unaware of the conversation the two had before the dragon attack that morning. They wouldn't get much of a chance to ask though.

"Lunch is ready," Maria announced as she and Hanayo rejoined them, both carrying a small tray.

"I hope you don't mind sandwiches," Hanayo said. "It's the best we have left after this morning's events."

"Anything sounds good right now..." Honoka said.

"There, there," Maria said, trying to comfort her. She sat Honoka down and gave her one of the two sandwiches on her tray.

"Looks like there's no reason not to go to Capua Nor now," Kotori said.

"The harbor?" Hanayo asked.

Kotori nodded. "There's nothing left to see on Izolle, and Honoka still wants to adventure."

"Ah, so we'll be going to Telos Astue?"

"Yeah. And since Nor Harbor is a port town, we'll be able to restock on supplies easily," Rin added.

"Going across the sea to another continent, huh?" Maki said.

"Is that going to be okay with you?" Kotori asked.

"Oh, yeah. I'm just thinking that it'll be my first time going so far from home."

"Is it now?"

Maki nodded. "As long as you're still keeping your word."

"Of course. And don't worry. Since I offered for you to stay with us, I'll be there if anything scares you."

"I think Nishikino-san is capable of handling herself, given this morning," Hanayo said.

"Definitely not a softy," Rin agreed. "Speaking of which, you seemed a bit more aggressive than necessary toward the dragon rider."

"I thought so too," Maria said. "Was something wrong?"

Kotori caught Maki's eye. She had a suspicion of the reason for Maki's attitude earlier.

"If she isn't comfortable talking about it-" Kotori started.

"No, no. It's alright," Maki said, cutting Kotori off. "If I'm going to be traveling with you all more, I should be able to talk about these things."

"Well, as long as you're okay with it. Just stop if you start feeling too uncomfortable."

Maki nodded. She took a deep breath and cleared her throat, stalling for a bit to help relax.

"When I was five, my parents had left Izolle for some business trip. I wasn't told much else at the time, except that they would be gone for a while, and that I had to behave and listen to the other mages in Arcadia. I found out later that they had gone to Strahta."

"Strahta? You mean the continent that's almost entirely a desert?" Honoka asked.

"Yes... The very same."

"Wait, is there something significant about Strahta?" Rin asked. "Aside than it's a desert?"

Kotori thought she knew where this was going. "Honoka, is there anything unique about the wildlife of Strahta?"

"Wildlife?" Honoka thought back to a book she read before. "Well, most are unique to Strahta because they need to be able to live in the desert, and they couldn't be found anywhere else. The only exception would be the... dragons..."

A chilling silence fell over the group. Maki continued.

"One day, a Knight came to my house. It was a girl, a bit to my surprise." Rin shot her a glance. "Hey I was five at the time, and that was before I knew there were female Knights." She cleared her throat. "Aside from that, she seemed too young to be a Knight. She couldn't have been much older than me. Anyway, first she told me why my parents had left. That something had been found on Strahta, and that they needed my parents' help. And then, the announced that they had been killed."

"By a dragon?" Kotori concluded.

"Yes. According to witnesses, it was a larger than normal dragon with multicolored wings, and seemed to control the other dragons."

"Niadra," Honoka said.

"Niadra?" Rin repeated.

Honoka nodded. "According to legends, Niadra is the last living dragon of the original dragons born into this world. With the ability to absorb other living beings' power by consuming them, it is one of the most powerful beings on this world."

"And by far the creature that rules Strahta," Maria added.

"No one is sure why Niadra had suddenly turned aggressive and killed the research party, since it has allowed humans to live there for all this time. The only thing that makes sense is whatever thing they had found is important to Niadra."

"That's so unfortunate..." Hanayo lamented. "I'm sorry."

Maki sighed. "It's after finding this out that I made the obvious choice. Rather than be a normal Arcadian mage, I started studying offensive magic. I learned as many combat spells as I possibly could, because one day I want to confront this dragon. I want to return the favor for what it did to my parents."

"A-are you serious?" Rin spat out. "This dragon is like a god! Why would you do something so careless? And alone as well?"

"She won't be alone."

Five pairs of eyes all turned to the ash-blond who uttered those words. Kotori continued.

"I can tell how important this is to you. So rather than try to stop you, I'll be right there with you."

"I... I can't tell which one of you is the crazier one right now..."

But Maki was smiling. "Thanks."

"No problem. I love a good challenge, and this dragon definitely sounds like a good opponent." Kotori gave a wink.

"Well, it shouldn't be any of our concerns what you all want to do, but please make it after this little adventure," Maria said. "We don't need to get tied into something like that, right Honoka-sama?"

No response.

"Honoka-sama?" Maria repeated.

"E-eh?" Honoka shook her head. "Sorry, I was lost in thought. What did you say?"

Maria sighed. "Never mind. Shall we get going? If we hurry, we can make it to Capua Nor and catch a boat while there's still daylight."

"We should get going," Rin agreed.

Maria and Hanayo put away the food. As they started off again, Honoka caught Kotori at the back of the group.

"That was a really nice thing you said," she said softly.

Kotori sighed. "Yeah... I blame you."

Honoka had a warm smile on her face. "I knew you were a good and trustworthy person."

There was a short pause before Kotori spoke. "Hey... Did you want to come with us? When Maki goes after that dragon?"

Honoka turned to her in surprise. "Me? Why?"

"Well, you knew about that dragon because of your book. And you seem like a curious enough person to want to see the dragon in person, and not just having the book."

"Eheh... Well you got me there. Is it okay, though?

"You should be able to decide something like that for yourself."

Rin turned around. "Hey you two, hurry up or you'll be left behind!"

Kotori and Honoka were brought out of their conversation, jogging to catch up to the other four as they continued walking.

* * *

Because of how their morning went, they were a lot closer to Capua Nor than they thought. It only took them a little under two hours to reach the port town. But the sight that greeted them wasn't what they were expecting.

There was a small platoon of Knights guarding the entrance. Most wore the standard uniform, except for three. One had their helmet off, a tall blond woman. They were in deep discussion, and hadn't noticed them yet. Though as they got closer, Rin ran forward.

"Commander!"

The blond turned, hearing her title called out. She saw the girl running toward her.

"Rin?"

Rin stopped herself a couple steps from her. She made a fist with her hand and held it to her chest, which was the way Knights saluted.

"Hai. Awaiting orders."

Then they both started laughing. Rin let go of the pretend formalities and hugged the Knight, who hugged her back.

"What are you doing here?" the blond asked. "You were assigned with watching the princess."

"Eheh, well about that..."

Rin turned back toward the others. The blond followed her gaze as the others finally reached where the Knights were. She looked at each of them, spending a lot of time looking at Honoka.

"She looks familiar..." the Knight said. "Almost like..."

"It's nice to meet you," Honoka said.

She took the ends of her dress, moved her right foot behind her left, bowed her head slightly and curtsied. She did it with all the intention of giving herself away, as it was a special curtsy. And the Knight's eyes widened with instant recognition.

"K-k- Kousaka-sama?!"

The two other Knights the blond had been talking to noticed quickly as well. The three of them quickly fell onto one knee, their heads bowed.

"You look different with that dress and hairstyle, I didn't recognize you sooner. I'm sorry, I-" the blond started hurredly.

"Shh," Honoka sounded calmly. "Rise."

The three did as ordered, and stood up straight. They were met with Honoka's warm smile.

"There we go. Isn't it easier to speak to each other like this?"

"Well, yes... But-"

"It's alright. I understand that I do not look like a princess, and without any prior notice you couldn't have known I would be here. So you are all forgiven."

"T-thank you, Kousaka-sama."

"Speaking of which," Rin said. "Why are there so many Knights here? And to have three of our unit here as well..."

"That, we can't speak of out in the open," the blond replied. "Though, if you plan on staying a while, get some rooms at the inn and we can't discuss it there."

Honoka turned to Kotori, who answered the obvious question that was coming.

"Yeah, we can stay for a while."

Honoka smiled. Then looked back to the Knight. "We'll be waiting at the inn, then."

The Knight nodded. "Oh, I'm Ayase Eli. These are Flynn and Yuri." She indicated the Knights to her side. "I assume you know who we really are if you're friends with Rin. I command that unit. We should be getting back to our duty, so we'll finish introductions at the inn."

With that they tried entering town. Honoka, Maria, and Rin had no trouble, but then Eli stopped the other three.

"Speaking of our duty," she said, "We need to do a quick search of you three before you come in."

"What for?" Kotori asked.

"There has been suspicious things happening in this town lately. This is a precaution."

Eli's eyes showed that there was more to be said when they had privacy. Kotori nodded.

"Alright then."

Eli snapped her fingers, and three circles formed around Kotori, Maki, and Hanayo. The spell did its scans within a few seconds, and data poured onto the floating screen in front of Eli.

"Thanks, you three are good to enter."

Kotori nodded again, and motioned for them to catch up to Honoka, Maria, and Rin, who were waiting patiently on the other side of the entrance. As Maki passed by, Eli put a hand on her shoulder.

"Take care, alright?"

Maki silently nodded, and proceeded when Eli moved her hand off Maki. She rejoined the others and they walked further into town. After getting a good distance away from the entrance, Hanayo looked to Maki.

"Do you two know each other?"

"I suppose you could say that. She was the Knight that informed me of my parents' death, all those years ago."

"Really?" Rin asked, clearly surprised.

"Yeah. She's also checked up on me from time to time in recent years, to make sure I was okay."

"That's sweet," Honoka said happily.

"Heh, sounds like something the Commander would do without even us knowing."

Kotori was only half paying attention to the group's conversation. She had been looking around. Usually a port town was very busy, with people all around the place. But she has yet to see another person since they entered. Their voices were the only sound that could be heard.

_Why do I have a bad feeling about this?_

* * *

**Hey guys, nobodD here!**

**I wanted to be able to get a chapter out to you guys before Christmas, because I don't what's going to happen during the holidays X3 *phew* glad I actually finished though. **

**Short and relaxed chapter for the most part. Just wanted to expand a bit on Maki's back story. Also Kotori gets another chance to show she's not as bad as her family is.**

**Also, not much of a surprise, but Eli is a Knight as well! As always, you'll get the character's backstory the chapter after they're introduced, as well as see some combat. After all, something suspicious is happening in Capua Nor.**

**As always, I'd like to hear any comments or questions you have.**

**Hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and happy holidays. And if you don't celebrate Christmas, still I wish you all a good time. I may have another chapter before the year is over, we shall see. Take care!**


	10. The Mystery of Capua Nor

**lychee-ran: Yeah, I don't think Eli's role is a surprise to anyone. She just fits it perfectly, heh. Yes, both Yuri and Flynn are from Tales of Vesperia. But honestly they were just mentioned as names, because they won't come back in this story after they're done in Capua Nor X3. Something's happening, but not as big since it's still early in the story. Hopefully not too much of a spoiler for me to say that. And I addressed your question in a PM.**

**assassin101ist: Ah right, I should probably bring that up again. Thanks for reminding me! I'll explain both those points in my notes at the end of the chapter, since everyone should know about that.**

**Major Mike Powell III: Yeah... Maki's backstory is pretty sad. But hey, it gives her a chance to open up to people who care about her =3. Yeah, since Honoka's a princess, I wanted her to still be very formal and composed with situations like that, haha. Yes, Eli completely fits the role of a Knight Commander X3 **

**Nelura: Vesperia was the first game I played of the series, and of course it's my favorite. And yes, Rita is just the best of the game. I used Flynn and Yuri just character names, because after the next chapter or two they'll most likely not reappear. And I played with Eli replacing Flynn, but wanted Eli to have a bigger role for the story than that. Hence the Knight unit she and Rin are in.**

***Disclaimer: I do NOT own Love Live!**

* * *

"Kotori? Is something wrong?"

Honoka was the first to notice Kotori's uneasy expression as the ash-blond continued to scan the town. Hearing her brought Kotori out of her thoughts, and she turned to see the others had stopped walking and were looking at her.

"Ah, well, don't you think the town is a little too quiet to be a port town?" Kotori asked.

"Now that you mention it..." Hanayo said, understanding the point. "I haven't seen anyone else yet."

"Look, even the vendor stalls are empty," Rin said, pointing.

"Maybe it's part of a town law?" Honoka suggested. "It isn't against the kingdom's law for a Magistrate to keep people inside for periods of time with good reason."

"Considering it is a port town though, there should at least be vendors and people working the dock," Kotori pointed out.

"I think we should continue this conversation once we get to the inn," Maria said, somewhat quietly.

Rin noticed the maid shook slightly, but she understood why. "I agree. It feels like someone's watching us right now. A bad presence."

A little quicker now, the party hurried off again. They were easily able to find the inn because of its sign, and they went inside. Unlike how empty it felt outside, it felt very crowded inside. There were a lot of people at the inn, most of them looked to be travelers as well. And they were all giving the group odd looks because they had rushed inside. Though once they realized nothing was going to happen, they went back to what they were doing.

The party kept to themselves while Hanayo got them a room. Maria, Kotori, and Rin weary of the other guests, secretly keeping their guards up for anything unusual to happen. They immediately went to their room once they got it. Though even with the privacy, no one could relax.

"Everyone's acting really strange around here," Kotori said.

"Yeah... I wonder what happened," Hanayo thought aloud.

"That's probably what Eli wants to talk to us about when she gets here," Rin suggested.

"I suppose we should just wait until she gets here, then," Maria said.

"Fine by me," Maki said. "There's something else I wanted to ask about anyway."

The redhead eyed Honoka, and the princess met her gaze.

"It's about me, isn't it?" she asked.

Maki nodded. "Well, I had a feeling that you were a princess, but why-"

"Wait, you knew about Honoka?" Rin asked, surprised.

"I doubt any normal person would be traveling around with a maid and a Knight."

"W-well... no one noticed before..."

"Moving along..." Maki turned back to Honoka. "Why didn't you tell me who you were before?"

"Ah, well. We thought it would be better not to draw attention to who I am, so we agreed to hide the fact that I'm a princess."

"Really? And no one has caught on yet?"

"Aside from you, no," Kotori said. "Then again we haven't really stayed anywhere for too long, so no one has really had time to notice."

"Did you plan on telling me at any point?"

"We were going to. But we haven't really had any peace since we met you," Kotori pointed out. "We had to run from Hamil, and then again because of that dragon."

"T-that's true."

Kotori walked up to Maki's spot on the bed and patted her on the head.

"Don't worry, we weren't trying to lie to you or anything." She looked over at Honoka. "Right?"

"That's right," Honoka agreed. "I'm sorry if it didn't seem like we trusted you."

"Ah- No, it wasn't that. I was just wondering if there was a special reason or something, that's all."

"Nope, no special reason," Kotori said.

"Anyway," Rin said, wanting to change topics, "What should we do while we're waiting for Eli?"

"When is she going to be coming?" Hanayo asked.

"Seeing how heavy the Knights are guarding the city entrances, I'd have to guess they won't be done until later tonight," Maria said.

"That's not necessarily true," Rin said. "We Cygnus Knights only have to listen to orders from the King, so Eli doesn't have to stay there. And even if Eli thinks someone should watch over the other Knights, Yuri or Flynn are just as capable as she is."

"Well, she knows where to find us," Kotori pointed out. "Since we don't know when to expect her, I think we should stay put until she comes."

The others nodded in agreement, except Maria who couldn't keep herself from a small laugh.

"Something wrong, Maria?" Hanayo asked.

"No, nothing's wrong." Though the maid was still smiling.

Maki seemed to catch on, and looked around the room.

"Uh, hey. Where's Honoka?"

* * *

"Thank you for your time."

Honoka quickly bowed her head before she turned around. She repeated the old man's response in her head as she walked away.

_"I don't know what you're talking about. There's nothing strange happening in this city."_

Honoka had snuck out of their room. She didn't want to just sit around and wait, so she decided to see if she could gather any information at all on what's been happening in this city. However everyone she's tried talking to around the inn has given her similar responses to the old man she just talked to.

_Either people really don't know what's happening, or they're pretending that nothing's happening. But why?_

There was something strange happening in this city, that much Honoka knew for sure. Even she understood the obvious signs that the others had pointed out already weren't just coincidences. But trying to find answers on her own wasn't getting her anywhere. She sighed in defeat.

_Maybe all I really can do is wait until Eli comes._

Suddenly, she felt a tap on her shoulder. Instinctively, she took a step forward and turned around, distancing herself as she came to look at the stranger behind her. The last thing she expecting to find was a figure in a black cloak, hood drawn up to shadow their face. The figure was also shorter than Honoka, another thing Honoka wasn't expecting.

Without speaking, the figure motioned for Honoka to follow. Unsure of what else to do, Honoka agreed. They went downstairs through the lobby and outside. She followed until the figure stopped in front of an alleyway, motioning for Honoka to go forward. Honoka did so, entering the alley. The figure scanned the street one last time before following. They reached a dead end.

"You should be wary of this town."

Honoka gasped in surprise, not because of what the figure said behind her, but of how it sounded. The voice revealed not a male, but a female underneath the cloak. She pulled down her cloak hood as Honoka turned around, better revealing her red eyes and black hair tied in twintails

"What do you mean?" the princess asked.

"People go missing all the time around here," she answered.

"T-they do?"

The girl nodded. "Parents, children, wealthy, traveler. No matter who you are, you're at risk."

"T-then why doesn't someone tell the magistrate?"

"Isn't it obvious?" She lowered her voice to a whisper. "He's behind all the disappearances."

"What? That can't be true."

"It is. He has his closest associates capture people around here and take them back to his manor."

"N-no way..."

At this point, Honoka was starting to become very weary of this mysterious girl. She took a step back, only to realize she was trapped as her back hit the wall. The girl noticed the very subtle movement, as well as the fear growing through Honoka's eyes.

"Ah, don't worry about me," she reassured. "I'm not one of the magistrate's henchmen. I'm trying to stop him as well."

Honoka sighed in relief. "I see."

"Yeah... As you could probably guess, the Magistrate took someone I knew. Three of them..." Her voice trailed off.

"Well, let me help you then."

The girl smiled. "I knew from your appearance that you could be trustworthy."

Honoka returned the smile. Then she realized something. "By the way, what was stopping you from doing something to free everyone in the first place?"

"I've tried before... This isn't something I can do on my own..."

"Oh... I see. "

"Anyway, how about we go try and free them right now?"

"Eh? How?"

"We sneak into the manor, of course."

"Sneak into the manor? I don't know..."

"Oh come on. I've done it a few times already. And we don't really have any other choice. It's not like we can just go and talk to the Magistrate."

Honoka considered the girl's words. It made a lot of sense. There wasn't much other choice they had if they wanted to act now. And Honoka _definitely_ didn't want to sit around and wait.

She nodded. "Alright then, let's do it."

The girl smiled. "Great. Come on let's go." She turned, but before walking forward, looked back. "By the way, I'm Yazawa Nico."

"I'm Honoka."

"Honoka..." Nico repeated.

Honoka once again realized too late that anyone who lives in this land knows her full name. She saw that Nico recognized her name. Thankfully, she couldn't complete the connection, and just shook it out of her mind. With that out of the way, they returned to the streets.

Nico stopped them before exiting the alleyway. She scanned the street to make sure no one was watching them before they walked out. Immediately they walked in the direction of the manor, which was deeper in the city.

Honoka saw that the Magistrate's manor was pretty hard to miss. Apart from being one of the bigger buildings in this place, it was also set apart from the rest of the city. Having to cross a bridge to get there gave the manor a different feel, which Honoka found an accomplishment since she had felt uncomfortable already since entering the city.

Of course, seeing that you could only get to the manor by a bridge made Honoka realize something.

"How are we supposed to sneak in?" she asked.

"Here, look."

Nico led them off to the side. As she peered over, she saw a very narrow walkway that lasted the entire length of the bridge. On their end was a ladder down to it, and Honoka could assume there was another ladder on the other end of the bridge. One last thing bothered Honoka.

"If we're sneaking around, shouldn't we wait until night, when it's dark out?"

"Do you really want to wait that long?" Nico asked.

"... Well..."

"Don't worry about it. Everyone is hiding inside their houses anyway. And look, all the curtains are closed. No one will see us."

With that, Nico hoped over the side, sliding down the ladder onto the small walkway. She looked back up to Honoka. "Come on."

Once again, Honoka was left thinking that they had no better option, although she wasn't terribly oppose to the idea anyway. Unlike Nico, Honoka made her way down the ladder much more carefully. After more waiting than Nico would have liked, they started to proceed along the walkway. They pushed themselves against the wall as much as possible, and were moving a little slower than a normal walk.

Despite knowing she should keep facing forward, Honoka couldn't help but look out to the sea.

"It's so beautiful..."

"You sound as though you've never seen the ocean before," Nico said, not turning around.

"No, I haven't. There is no view of the ocean from the castle."

Nico came to a sudden stop, causing Honoka to almost bump into her.

"Castle?" Nico repeated.

"Wait- I- Uh..."

"So... Honoka, as in Princess Kousaka Honoka?"

Honoka could no longer use words, and simply nodded.

"So that's why your name seemed familiar." Nico shrugged before proceeding again.

Honoka stared after Nico for a few seconds before remembering she needed to follow her. "W-wait, that's it?"

"Trust me, after some of the things I've experienced in my life, finding out your a princess isn't as surprising. Although it's still pretty interesting."

"I see..."

"Mhm. But we can talk more about it later. Right now we have other things to worry about."

They walked the rest of the way in silence until they reached the other end of the bridge. Nico paused at the top to make sure there weren't any guards that happened to be at the entrance. She decided it was safe, and signaled that to Honoka. Both of them climbed up and back onto more stable ground. Immediately as they landed they dashed off to the side, taking cover behind some bushes.

"Look over there." Nico was pointing to the side of the building.

Honoka followed Nico's finger, eventually spotting what Nico was pointing at. A window that was opened slightly, with a tree conveniently nearby and tall enough for them to climb into the window.

Without having to say anything, the two of them made their way over to that tree. Nico helped Honoka climb up first. Once Honoka was safely on one of the branches, she reached to pull Nico up with her. Nico made easy work of quietly opening the window, and they were inside within a few moments.

Honoka looked around. Had it been under other circumstances, she might have felt relaxed. A lot of the nice items in the room reminded her of home. However, she knew now wasn't the time for things like that. Nico had slowly started creeping forward, so she followed after her.

_This is quite cliche, isn't it?_

In the many novels Honoka read in the castle that had a stealth scene, it was almost always in some kind of vent. And as Honoka moved as carefully as possible to make little sound while she and Nico crawled through some air vents, all she could think about were those books. Although Honoka regarded that as a good thing, as she found some excitement in actually getting to experience those scenes rather than just reading about them.

"Hey, Nico," Honoka whispered.

"Hmm?"

"You seem to know a lot about what's happening. Could you tell me what it is that the Magistrate does?"

"...It's probably better that you see for yourself."

There was something about the sad tone Nico took that concerned Honoka, and told her not to push any further. So they continued crawling their way through the vents, Nico leading the way. Eventually she signaled for her to pause. It was one of the rooms the vents let out to. She motioned for Honoka to move next to her and look into the room. As Honoka arrived next to Nico and looked down, she became horrified by the scene below.

Along the wall opposite them were a few big prison cells, each containing around twenty people. They were all adults. Their clothes were torn in places, and Honoka could barely make out red markings on parts of their bodies. Honoka only had to look at the guards to realize they were whip marks. But that wasn't the worse part.

Outside the cells moving all around, and looking in worse conditions than those within the cells, were children. They were being treated like slaves, being ordered to do this or that, and being whipped for any and all mistakes. Honoka could assume they belonged to some of the adults within the cells. Every time a different child was whipped, or fell and was hit for it, a voice within the cell cried out. The mothers would cry, and the fathers yelled at the guards, enduring pain in hopes to spare their kids.

Honoka felt her heart sinking. She was a princess, and she grew up learning to treat all her people equally. So to see this kind of treatment, to children even, was absolutely horrifying for her.

She saw a little boy fall down, and was immediately whipped for it. Two girls, both a little taller and presumably older, immediately abandoned the single-file line they were in to come to his aid, shielding him from more whips. Honoka managed to catch site of the tallest girl's face. She looked very familiar... Almost like-

"Kokoro... Kokoa... Kotarou..."

Honoka looked to her side at the sound of Nico's breaking voice. Her heart nearly broke at the revelation.

"They're your siblings... aren't they?"

Nico wiped a tear from her face as she nodded. Honoka looked down to her hands, unable to bring herself to look at the scene within the room any longer. But movement from Nico made her look up again. Nico was now holding a gun in her hand.

_"Ice,"_ Nico whispered.

The gun emitted a faint blue light which covered the entire gun before fading. Honoka could feel the magic now infused with the gun. Nico held it out, pointing it at one of the guards.

"W-wait, Nico," Honoka breathed.

"I have to."

Nico went to pull the trigger.

* * *

**Hi guys, nobodD here!**

**I know this is late but, hope you all had wonderful Christmas and New Years!**

**Also, I'm very, VERY sorry for being soo late with getting back to you all *bows apologetically*. I didn't want it to take this long to upload, and I feel super bad about that. This chapter was pretty complicated, and I'll go over why.**

**First off, Nico. She wasn't supposed to be introduced this chapter at all. She wasn't even supposed to be the next character to be introduced. But when figuring out how to approach Capua Nor's mystery, I realized this would be an insanely good spot to introduce Nico. Although, once again it's with a pretty dark back story. But don't worry, hopefully the next chapter makes up for that and get's to show off what I think is a really awesome style for Nico to use.**

**Speaking of the next chapter, and I guess this chapter, I must apologize again. This was actually supposed to be a longer chapter, and was originally going to focus on Eli and revealing the details of Capua Nor that way. But because I decided to add Nico into the mix, I decided to cut the long chapter into two. I know I made it sound like a lot was going to happen in this chapter, and it was supposed to. Again, hopefully the next chapter makes up for the sudden change.**

**Lastly, I want to address Richter (the OC that's Kotori's brother in this story), and things back at the castle. I think I said this before but I'll mention it again. After Honoka and crew left Zenethra, I was going to focus on what the party is doing, and focus on their point of view in the story. Obviously they wouldn't know what's happening to the others, so I don't include them in the chapters. But I will say that they make appearances later on in the story. Just wanted to clarify that.**

**That gets out most of what I wanted to say for these notes out of the way. Hope you stay around for the next chapter, because there's no way in hell our heroines are going to let something like this slide. And Honoka and Nico still need to get themselves out of whatever is about to happen to them. I will do my best to get the next chapter out as quickly as possible, while I still haven't started my next semester of college.**

**Also! Sometime soon I'm going to be publishing a beta chapter for a new story idea I have. But that's something I'll explain more on the actual post. If you're into crazy stuff, be on the lookout for that.**

**That's it from me. Hope to see you next time~**


	11. Vengence

**lcyhee-ran: Originally, yeah the chapter was supposed to be more about Eli. But it turned into Nico's introduction. Both Nico and Eli will be revealed more this chapter (hopefully). And haha, that joke X3**

**Major Mike Powell III: I'm so sorry I did this to you last chapter. And, I feel like you might like Nico's style. I enjoyed coming up with it X3.**

***Disclaimer: I do NOT own Love Live!**

****Note: I wrote… A lot… Have fun reading X3**

*****Another note: Because I'm late and don't have anything prepared, 1.17 Happy Birthday Hanayo! x3**

* * *

Nico wasn't about to let that good-for-nothing guard get away with harming her little siblings. She pulled out one of her pistols strapped to her leg. It wasn't her sniper rifle, but that didn't mean she still couldn't hit the target from this distance.

Really, her training made it so she _couldn't_ miss from this distance.

_"Ice."_

She used the macro word that would cast her enchantment spell. It wasn't a very complicated spell, but macros made it easier to switch elemental enchantments on her weapons on the fly, which was especially useful when she wasn't sniping. She could be reckless, she knew, but that quality shined brightly when she wielded both her pistols in the middle of a fight.

She gave the spell the second it needed to work, coating her weapon in a thin layer of ice magic. Once it was ready, she held it out forward. Her sights were on the furthest of the guards from her, the only guard who would notice where the bullet came from should she shoot.

"W-wait, Nico," she heard Honoka whisper.

"I have to." Nothing was going to stop her. She was prepared for any attempt Honoka could make to try and stop her. Or so she thought.

With a quick motion, Honoka grabbed hold of the gun. She pulled on it, changing the aim of the gun from the guard to _herself_.

"W-what are you doing," Nico stammered.

"Nico, listen to me," Honoka pleaded. "This is wrong and you know it."

"This? Don't you see what they're doing? They're-"

"I know. Trust me I want to do something about it too. But what if you shot someone right now? You'd alert the entire manor that we're here. It could us and everyone they're holding in danger, worse than what they're experiencing right now."

"I... I guess you're right." A tear could be seen from Nico's eye. "But, this is the closest I've ever gotten to actually being able to do something. I thought I finally had a chance."

By this point Nico's hands fell to her lap, lowering her weapon. Honoka leaned forward to hug Nico.

"Don't worry, we will do something to fix this. Let's head back to the inn."

"The inn? Why?"

"To rejoin my friends. I'm sure with all of us, we'll be able to do this."

Honoka had let go of the hug and they were face to face. Nico saw in the princess's blue eyes her sincerity and determination. Slowly, Nico nodded.

"Alright... Let's go back." She took one last look at the scene below. "I'll free you all, I promise."

Nico turned to start crawling back the way they came. Before Honoka went to follow, she looked down as well.

"As princess of Izolle, I will make things right," she vowed.

* * *

After successfully sneaking out of the manor, the two went straight back to the inn. The afternoon had turned to evening while they were in the manor, and the darkness of the night sky made reappearing on the streets easier for them.

"Honoka-sama!"

Honoka found herself being tackled to the ground within seconds of entering their room at the inn. She adjusted herself to lay flat on her back, finding her maid on top of her and hugging her as tightly as she could. When Maria finally let go of their embrace, Honoka could see the worry that took over her while she was away.

"Maria-chan... I'm so sorry."

"No, I'm sorry. I just assumed that you weren't going to disappear for so long. I thought you were going to be around the inn. And then we couldn't find you. I should have gone with you instead. I-"

Honoka gave a look that her maid was very familiar with. It asked for silence, and that Maria calm herself down. After a few deep breaths, Maria nodded.

"It wasn't your fault, Maria-chan. So don't go blaming yourself like always."

"Although, I would have to side with her on this. It wasn't very smart of you to go wandering off like that." Honoka passed Maria to see Kotori as she spoke, an amused smile on her face. "Still, glad to see you're still in one piece."

"Yes, good to see. Although rest assured we Cygnus Knights would have rescued you if anything had happened."

Honoka saw as the tall blond Knight came into her view. "Eli."

Eli smiled, then looked away from where Honoka lay on the floor. "And, who is this?"

When Maria tackled Honoka to the ground, Nico had walked into the room, closing the door behind them. She had been standing there quietly ever since. Now that they took notice to her again, she spoke up.

"Yazawa Nico," she said. "I asked Honoka to accompany me for something. So don't be too hard on her."

"That sounds like Honoka a reason Honoka would suddenly disappear for," Hanayo said playfully.

"Still, next time let somebody know before you go running off," Maki said.

"I'm sorry for worrying everyone." Honoka was standing up again by this point, and bowed her head.

"So, if you don't mind me asking," Kotori said to Nico, "What was it that you and Honoka were doing?"

"Actually, that's something we want to talk to the rest of you about," Nico answered.

Honoka nodded, then looked at Eli. "We found out what's been happening in this city."

The light mood completely vanished from the room.

* * *

It took a while for Eli, Nico, and Honoka to reveal everything they knew to the others.

Nico and Honoka went first. They explained how they snuck into the manor, and what they saw in the prison room. Nico also mentioned that her sisters and brother were among those that were taken. She was going to reveal what she almost did in the vents, but Honoka signaled subtly for Nico to keep quiet about that particular detail.

A lot was revealed to everyone once Eli got to share what she had been investigating.

To start with, this wasn't something that the Magistrate only started doing recently. From what Eli had found out, this had been going on for months now. Unfortunately, no one was able to say or do anything about it. Anyone who knew about what the Magistrate was doing was tracked down and captured as well. Even travelers who happened to hear someone talk about it was usually captured. The Magistrate didn't want to take any chances.

The actual reason for why the Magistrate was capturing people, or at least the adults, wasn't very exciting. It was a somewhat expected reason, he just wanted to do it. However, when the adults were slowing down in their labors because of exhaustion, the Magistrate didn't hesitate to bring their children in. A few of the adults snapped at that and tried to get back at the Magistrate directly. Unfortunately, they failed and paid the ultimate price for that offense.

"That's... that's horrible," Hanayo said as the explanations were finally finished.

Kotori nodded in agreement. "Well, I guess it isn't too surprising. People always let power get to their heads and become stupid people." She looked to Honoka. "No offense."

Honoka waved it off. "As long as that wasn't directed toward my family. Besides... I just saw enough proof to believe you anyway."

"So, you all will help me to bring down the Magistrate, right?" Nico asked, doing her best to control her emotions.

"Of course," Kotori answered. "Although, it's really up to the Princess here how she wants to do it."

"I suppose that means she'll have to get the King and Queen," Eli thought aloud.

All eyes turned to Honoka, who closed her eyes and folded her arms. Although it was just for show. She already knew what she wanted to do. She met everyone's gazes as she opened her eyes again, a smile forming on her face.

"Let's break into the manor and free everyone!"

Her words were met with surprised expressions on everyone's faces except for Maria, who did her best to keep from giggling. Kotori was the first to recover, a grin touched her lips.

"I guess we should've expected a response like that," she said.

"Yeah. Honoka doesn't seem like a typical fairytale princess," Hanayo agreed.

"I prefer this way anyway," Eli said.

"Yeah, official business was never our style anyway," Rin added.

"I'm all for it. Sounds like fun," Maki said.

After hearing everyone's responses, Honoka turned to Nico. "Well, there you have it."

"You all are a strange bunch." Nico shook her head while smiling. "But still, thank you."

* * *

While it was night, Eli suggested that they wait a while longer until most of the city was fast asleep. Until then, they were free to do whatever they wanted to pass the time. Except for Honoka, who wasn't allowed to leave the room.

Unlike earlier in the day, the city entrance was lightly guarded. There were a lot less Knights around. The only two who were actually guarding like they were supposed to were Yuri and Flynn. They were hiding from view, and surprised Kotori when they popped up. Once they recognized it was Kotori, they told her she was free to move in and out of the city as she wished, and both went back into hiding.

Luckily for her, the thing she was looking for wasn't very far from the city entrance. She only had to walk for a couple of minutes to find the girl she was after: the short, twintailed girl, who was currently firing her two pistols into a series of targets. There was a very small light being used to reveal the targets. Yet despite the poor visibility, Kotori noted that Nico never once missed the center of a target.

"Impressive."

"Thanks." Nico didn't seem surprised by Kotori's sudden appearance.

Kotori watched with a lot of interest as Nico continued her target practice. As more and more bullets crashed into the center of the targets, she noticed something odd about the bullets.

"Ice bullets? Those aren't very commonly found here in Izolle."

"They're not real bullets either," Nico responded.

"Not real? So then, you're using magic?"

"Yup. Magic allows me to fire as many bullets as I want."

"Eh? But I thought conjuring bullets used a fair amount of magic."

"Normally yes, it takes a huge amount of magic. Some time ago, I came across a secret variation on the spell. I'm not quite sure how it works, but all I know is that instead of using up magic per bullet, it costs me a small amount of magic to fire bullets endlessly."

"That sounds… extremely convenient."

"It is, and very useful, too. Because of that, I'm able to use my magic in other ways."

"Like enchanting your bullets?"

"Exactly."

Nico put both pistols back into their holsters on her belt, and picked up the sniper rifle resting on a nearby tree. The gun started faintly glowing for a few seconds, a sign that Nico was linking her magic to the sniper to conjure bullets.

The air was still, but as the sniper started lightly glowing white, Kotori felt a bit of wind. The wind stopped as the glow faded. Off in the distance, Kotori noticed a bird take off from a tree. In a heartbeat, Nico took aim with the sniper and pulled the trigger, and in the next moment the bird fell from the sky.

"That was…"

"A wind-infused sniper bullet," Nico answered. "Enchanting bullets with wind makes them travel faster, and with a sniper bullet it's basically an instant hit."

"I see…" _Poor bird._

It was silent for a couple of minutes as Nico went back to shooting the targets on the trees. Again, Nico never missed the center of a target.

"You're really good," Kotori said after a while.

"Thanks. I kind of had to be growing up."

"Oh? Why's that?"

"My parents weren't around very often while I was growing up. And sometime after my brother was born, they just left us. So I had to take care of my three siblings by myself."

"Wow, that's unfortunate. I'm sorry to hear that."

Nico shrugged. "I'm used to it by this point. But without our parents around, I had to find some way to find some way to protect me and my siblings. It was by chance that I learned how to use a gun."

"I see…"

"Even though I worked and worked to get better… It still wasn't enough to protect them… Sitting there, powerless to do anything while I watched them taken away from me…"

Kotori heard Nico's voice shake, right as she took another shot. Not only was it the first shot Kotori observed that didn't hit the center of a target, it flat out missed the target completely. She heard the unmistakable sound of sniffling, and understood what was going on. She went up beside Nico, resting a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry, this wasn't your fault."

Nico turned to Kotori with teary eyes. "How is this not my fault?"

"You did everything you could to protect your siblings, but there's only so much that a person can do alone."

"I-I guess you're right…"

"This time, you won't have to do everything by yourself. We'll help you rescue your siblings, and the rest of the people that were captured. And then you can teach that filthy Magistrate just what happens when you're messed with."

Even though it was dark, Nico could see Kotori smiling. Suddenly, the worries she was just experiencing washed away, and she smiled back. "Thanks."

"No problem. Just, let's keep that last part a secret between us. While I'm sure the others aren't opposed to freeing everyone, I don't think they'll want to… _dirty_ their hands like that."

Nico nodded. "Deal."

"Come on, let's get back to the others."

* * *

"So unlike regular Knights, you weren't born a noble?"

"That's right," Eli responded to the young redhead.

Maki looked around the plaza. Unlike the middle of the day, where the Magistrate had suddenly ordered everyone to stay indoors, there were others walking around the city now. Apparently the Magistrate did this when he sent his henchmen out to capture more people. And once the Magistrate gave the all clear for everyone to come out again, there was no fear for anyone to be walking around. As long as they didn't do anything to make the Magistrate target them, of course.

"That's something our unit has in common," Eli explained further. "None of us were born nobles, yet we still became Knights. Although we were fairly average during training, we each excelled in things that normal Knights don't usually learn. The King noticed that, and he eventually came to form the Cygnus Knights."

"Wow, that sounds pretty cool. So, do you mind if I ask you something?"

"You want to ask me what my specialty is, right?" Eli guessed.

"Was it that obvious?"

Eli stood up. "Come on. If I'm going to show you, it should be where we won't be easily seen."

Trying not to make it too complicated, they just chose to use an alleyway for privacy. Once Eli felt they were far enough from the streets to not be seen on accident, she turned to face Maki.

"Okay, just stand still, no matter what, alright?"

"Okay." Maki nodded, preparing herself as best as she could.

Eli stepped away from Maki, creating space between them. Maki could hear Eli take a deep breath. Then she saw Eli move her right hand in a counter-clockwise motion, while taking a step forward with her left foot. As she stepped forward with her right, she extended her right hand out to arm's length, sweeping it across as she slowly spun around once. Another step, and Eli brought her both her hands above her hand as she did a quicker spin this time.

Within the next moment, there was a crescent-shaped blade right by her neck, shining the moonlight across her face. It took every bit of her willpower to not move at all, like Eli told her, until Eli pulled her weapon away.

"This weapon is my specialty," Eli said proudly.

"A scythe, huh? Well that definitely isn't a normal weapon for a Knight to use," Maki agreed.

"Yeah but if you ask me, it's a lot more fun than a boring sword and shield that most of them use."

"I wouldn't know. I've never used any of those weapons before. But that aside…"

"I have better tactical views and analytical skills than even some of the oldest Knight commanders. The King personally wanted my help because of that, as well as a handful of other Knights with special talents. Eventually he made the Cygnus Knights so we didn't have to waste time with normal Knight duties."

"I see. And because of your talents you were made the Commander?"

"Not quite. Actually, the reason I was made the Commander was because of Rin."

"Rin? Really?"

Eli nodded. "Her specialties are speed and deception. Back at the academy, she was always sneaking extra food, playing tricks, and just generally causing trouble for the instructors. She snuck into the King's Quarters one time, and she would have taken some of his things if I hadn't caught her. The King rewarded me because of that. He also recognized Rin's talents, and made her a Cygnus Knight after she graduated from the academy."

"Wow, that all sounds nice…"

"So, how have you been since… the _incident_?"

"I've been… about as well as you could expect living on my own…" Maki responded, her voice a little dark.

"I see… And have you done what I suggested to do before?"

Maki nodded. "I've studied magic as much as I can. I'm starting to look at that advanced spell book you gave me the last time you checked on me."

Eli smiled. "That's good. Come with me back to the capital after this is all over, and we can talk to the King about making you a Cygnus Knight."

"Is it really that easy?"

"We'll find out when the time comes, right?" Eli put an arm around Maki. "Come on, let's head back to the inn."

* * *

Maki, Eli, Kotori, and Nico all reached the front of their inn room at the same time. They entered a very relaxed room. Honoka was laying on one of the big beds, with Maria sitting next to her. They were both reading books. Rin was taking a nap on the other bed, and Hanayo was balancing things on her staff.

Honoka replaced her bookmark, closed the book, and jumped off the bed as the four entered.

"You're all back," she said happily. "Does that mean it's almost time?"

"Almost," Eli answered. "But first thing's first."

"Coming up with a plan?" Rin said, rubbing her eyes as she sat up on the bed.

"Correct." She turned to Nico. "Because I don't think it's wise to use the same method you two did earlier when there's eight of us."

"Fair enough," Nico answered. "So what are you thinking?"

Eli smiled, pulling out a piece of paper from her bag. "It just so happens I have a map of the manor, with a convenient hidden entrance around the back."

Hanayo raised an eyebrow. "And how did you manage that?"

"What did you think that security scan we made you do at the entrance was for? One of the Magistrate's henchmen that was running errands gave us all the info we needed, without him even knowing it."

"Hehe, as expected of Eli," Rin said.

"The first part of this will be about stealth, so we'll be divided into pairs to make movement easier."

"Maria?" Honoka asked.

"Of course," Maria answered, knowing what Honoka was going to ask.

"That makes one pair," Eli said, understanding the exchange as well.

"I'll work with Nico," Kotori said. "As long as it's alright."

Nico nodded. "That's fine with me."

"Hey Maki, how about we team up?" Rin asked.

Maki shrugged. "Alright then."

"Guess that just leaves you and me," Hanayo said to Eli.

Eli smiled. "Looks that way. Now then…" She opened up the map on one of the beds while everyone gathered around. "We'll need one pair to sneak in and steal the cell keys from the guards in this room. Two pairs will go and take out the henchmen guarding the cells in these two rooms, and the last pair to clear the henchmen in these rooms on the pathway leading out." Eli pointed to the corresponding rooms as she mentioned them.

"Sneaking the keys away from the henchmen will be easy," Maria said. "We'll take that task."

"Fighting henchmen sounds easy enough," Rin said. "So we'll be one of those pairs."

"Well take the other room then," Nico said.

"Then we'll clear the exit," Eli finished. She looked to Rin. "Do you still have spare Signal Bracelets?"

"You're asking the girl who made those bracelets for the Cygnus Knights, if she has any bracelets?" Rin asked with an amused expression. She reached into one of the bags on her belt and produced a number of simple-looking bracelets.

"Good point. Anyway, when you tap one of the three lights on this bracelet, it will flash that light on other bracelets within a certain distance. Rin, signal yellow when you've taken care of your room. Kotori, signal green when you two have cleared yours. Kousaka-sama, after you gotten the keys, wait for those lights before you go to open the cells. Everyone wait for me or Hanayo to signal the blue light before coming to the exit. Understood?"

She looked around as everyone nodded their understanding.

"Good. Once we're all together again, we'll go after the Magistrate. There aren't any other exits, so he won't be able to escape us." She then flipped one of the bracelets to the opposite side of the three lights, revealing one more light. "If something goes wrong and your part of the plan falls apart, use this red light as a warning signal. We have to think on the fly from there."

Everyone nodded again to show they understood, and each put on a bracelet.

"Alright, I think we're ready then. Let's go."

* * *

Because of the how dark it was at night, they didn't have to sneak along the side of the bridge like Honoka and Nico did earlier in the day. Though, they still used a few of Rin's smoke bombs just to be safe.

Once they cleared the bridge, they made their way to the right of the manor, the opposite side that Nico and Honoka were on earlier. Toward the end of the right wall had what they were looking for. AN unusually large collection of bushes gathered against the wall. They moved some as carefully and as quietly as possible to reveal the hidden entrance to the manor.

As planned, they split up into pairs once they were inside. While the others went to the left, Honoka and Maria followed the hallway to the right, with Maria leading the way. Just like back at the castle, Maria would peak around a corner first, and Honoka would wait for her to signal it was clear before they moved on.

It wasn't very long before they found the room they were looking for. They crept up quietly to the door, setting themselves against the wall on either side. Honoka nodded to Maria to signal that she was ready. Maria pulled out a spellcard, and flicked it under the door. A bright flash that leaked through the door told them that the spellcard had activated. Maria threw the door open and they both rushed inside.

As she ran in, Maria pulled out her revolver, and in an instant had her sights on one of the henchmen blinded by the spellcard. She shot a perfect shot, causing the henchmen to collapse onto the floor. Luckily for him, Maria had replaced the ammo in her magazine with non-lethal rounds. So he wasn't dead, but the paralyzing effect was strong enough to keep him knocked out for up to a day.

With two quick flicks, she downed two other henchmen that had started to shake off the spellcard effects. She heard a noise to her right, and turned to see one more henchmen, now back to normal and raising his weapon to strike Maria. Though, he wouldn't get a chance. A magic bolt caught him by the chest and sent him flying into the wall, with enough force to knock him out.

"Went just a little bit overboard there, Honoka-sama?"

Honoka for her part looked completely shocked. "I… didn't think I put much that much power into it."

"Well, it does the job either way." Maria grabbed the keys off one of the knocked-out henchmen.

"Now we wait."

* * *

"I'm surprised no back-up has arrived yet," Hanayo said as they walked over a few unconscious bodies.

"Shows you how attentive these guys are," Eli replied.

"Or they weren't expecting people to be able to challenge them."

"Well, if we pretend this is a training session, then these guys won't seem as disappointing."

"Don't get too confident now. They might just surprise you."

Eli gave her a curious look. "You think so?"

Hanayo smiled. "Not at all. But someone had to say it."

"Heh, I suppose so. Ready for the next room?"

"I should be asking you that. I've only had to use one spell, while you do the rest of the work."

"You never know, we could always just stand here and chat."

Hanayo shrugged, conceding the point. She waved her staff, using the same spell again. It was a wind spell used to make a person move faster. She casted it on Eli, who held her scythe up again.

"See you in a bit," she said with a smile, before speeding off into the next room.

Since they were just trying to knock people out, and not kill, Hanayo knew Eli wasn't using the scythe blade to strike people. Still, the loud thuds of the handle and the occasional scream of fear of a henchmen about to meet the same fate, didn't sound any less painful to Hanayo.

"I'm glad I'm not on the receiving end of that."

Saying that to herself, Hanayo decided to finally follow Eli into the next room.

* * *

_But, there was only one of this girl a second ago-_

That was the last thought the henchman had before being struck at the neck, and falling to the ground, unconscious.

"Oof, that didn't sound too pleasant," Rin said, rubbing the part of her hand she struck the henchman with.

Just then, she felt the threatening presence of a blade, and instinctively rolled to the right. Another henchman's sword came crashing down onto the floor where Rin was just standing. Rin came out of her roll standing low, a similar stance to a cat ready to pounce. She pulled out her knife, a devilish grin on her face. It had just the effect Rin wanted. The henchman flinched, fear just barely showing in his eyes. That hesitation was all Rin needed. She sprang forward, charging directly for the henchman.

He caught Rin's knife with his sword, their blades clashing against each other while the two stood still, not giving the other any ground. The henchman was ready to overpower the girl, when something hit him in the back of the head. Before completely losing consciousness, he saw the girl in front of him turn into a puff of smoke.

"This won't be very fun if you all fall for the easiest tricks in the book," Rin said mockingly to the henchman she just knocked out.

"Aren't you enjoying this a little too much?" Maki asked.

"Its fine, isn't it?" She turned to the young redhead. "We're just knocking them out. It's not _that_ bad."

Maki rolled her eyes. "If you say so."

"Uh…" Rin noticed a henchman trying to sneak up behind Maki.

But the redhead felt it coming too. She stomped her right foot into the ground. As she did, the ground beneath the henchman shot up, throwing him high up. Maki spun around, a red spellcircle already formed around her. She extended her arm, aiming her spell. As the henchman was about to start falling down, a trio of fireballs flew forward. All three hit the poor fellow, sending him flying into the wall before finally bouncing onto the ground.

"And you think I'm overdoing it…" Rin said, admiring Maki's magic mastery.

"That's his fault," Maki responded. "He tried a sneak attack. The fool."

Rin couldn't argue with that. "Well, we took care of everyone in here."

"I guess we signal for Honoka and Maria."

"Right."

Rin tapped the yellow light on her bracelet. Maki saw the same light on her bracelet light up.

* * *

Kotori blocked another sword that came her way. The henchman pulled his blade away, bringing it back for another strike. That was his mistake. Kotori met the blade again, but with much more force than the first time. The sword went flying out of his hands, and before he could react, Kotori flipped her hold on her own sword, and brought the handle smashing onto his head.

"Well this is going about as expected," she said casually.

She turned around as she heard more gunfire. She was just in time to see land six consecutive shots into the same two henchmen. Judging by how fast and how far they flew backwards, Kotori guessed Nico had enchanted her two pistols with wind. Impressively enough, the impacts left two dents on the wall.

Kotori saw as one of Nico's pistols glowing light blue for a few seconds. She fired that pistol at one of the two bodies. As the bullet connected, the body was encased in ice.

"So… I'm guess that was the guy you saw hitting your siblings?"

Nico nodded. "Lucky for him this is all we were told to do."

"Onee-chan!" came a voice from the cell.

Kotori and Nico turned around and hurried over to the cell. Three kids, who Kotori figured where Nico's siblings, were standing by the bars of the cell waiting for them. Kotarou, the only brother and the youngest sibling, reached his hand through the bars. Nico took his hand into her own, holding it tightly.

"Onee-chan, you came!" he said happily.

"Of course I did," Nico replied as evenly as possible. Kotori could see she was fighting back tears. "I'm so sorry you all had to go through so much."

"Don't worry about it, Onee-chan," Kokoro said.

"That's right," Kokoa chimed in. "You knew you would come for us in the end."

Kotori noticed that Nico's siblings weren't the only ones gathering where Kotori and Nico were.

"Good to see you again, Nico," said one of the men nearby.

"Same to you sir," Nico replied.

"I'm sorry. I haven't really been doing my part since you all came to Capua Nor."

Nico shook her head. "You've already done more than enough just by giving us a place to stay."

The man smiled. "Well if you can get us all out, then we can talk about new living arrangements for you and your siblings once this is all over."

Just then, they heard the door open. Both Nico and Kotori stood up and spun around, Kotori readying her scythe again while Nico already had a pistol aimed at the door. They were met with a gun aimed back at them.

"Looks like everything's okay here," Maria said, lowering her revolver. She moved away from the door as Honoka followed her inside.

"You two?" Kotori said, surprised.

"We opened the cell in the other room and you two still didn't signal," Honoka explained. "We were getting worried."

"Oh right, the bracelet. I forgot."

"Well you two are okay, so I guess it wasn't a problem in the end," Maria said. She tapped the green light on her bracelet as she made her way over to Kotori and Nico.

Everyone inside waited for Maria to unlock the cell. As she did, the blue light started glowing on all of their bracelets.

"Looks like Eli and Hanayo are done as well," Honoka said. "Come on, let's go!"

"Everyone follow Honoka. She'll lead you out of here," Nico said to the crowd.

No one questioned anything and did as they were told. They hurried out of the cell and joined the others that were captured and held in the room Rin and Maki liberated. Nico was the last to leave the room, and as she was about to following behind everyone, Kotori grabbed her by the arm. Silently, she motioned down the opposite hallway, tapping the pistol closest to her with her other hand. Nico quickly realized what Kotori was trying to tell her.

Honoka stood by the door leading to the next room, making sure that everyone went through and no one was left behind. She barely managed to catch a glimpse of Nico and Kotori slipping around the corner.

The route to the entrance of the manor went by quick and easy. Aside from having to step over a few of the unconscious henchmen, there were no distractions or attempts to stop them. Which no one was complaining about, since it made things easier for them. Soon enough they were at the entrance, where they found Eli and Hanayo sitting on some chairs and casually talking.

"Ah, there they are," Hanayo said, spotting the large group.

"Yeah, sorry if we were slow for you two," Rin said jokingly.

Eli stood up and addressed the large group. "Well, once you pass those doors, you'll be free and back to your regular lives. As one of the King's personal Knights, I will do what I can to get rid of this Magistrate and somehow compensate you all for what he's put you through."

No one needed a second invitation. Everyone wanted to leave that forsaken manor as soon as possible. Of course, they thanked the group for freeing them as they passed by on their way to the door. All except three people left.

"Excuse me," Kotarou said, tugging at Eli's sleeve. "Where's Onee-chan?"

"Onee-chan?" Eli repeated.

"Ah, those are Nico's siblings," Honoka said, recognizing them.

"Now that you mention it," Hanayo said, looking around. "I don't think I saw her or Kotori walk in with you all."

"Eh? Weren't they following us?" Rin asked.

"M-maybe they got distracted by something," Honoka said. "I'll go look for them!"

Before anyone could react, Honoka had left the room. Maki was about to go after her, but Maria caught her by the arm.

"I wouldn't worry if I were you," Maria said.

"Why do you say that?" Maki asked.

Maria shrugged. "Just intuition."

* * *

The Magistrate, having been thrown against the wall, fell to his knees. Barely able to focus, he looked around his office. On either end of the room were the collapsed, unconscious forms of two muscular men.

_My two best henchmen,_ he thought to himself. _Taken out so easily…_

He still couldn't believe something like this had happened. He picked these two as personal body guards for being the toughest of his henchmen. With them around, he was supposed to be absolutely safe.

Something slammed in front of him, bringing him back from his thoughts. He looked up at one of the weapons used to put him into this hopeless situation, as well as looked into the face of its wielder. Though she was wearing grey instead of black, the scythe made him associate her with a grim reaper.

_Fitting, because I feel like I'm about to die._

"Oh don't worry, I'm not the one who has the grudge," the scythe-wielder said, as if reading his thoughts. He realized his face probably gave it away. The girl stepped away, and her friend started walking closer.

And if he wasn't absolutely terrified before, he definitely was now.

"Y-you," he stammered.

"Good, you remember who I am," the short twintailed girl said. "Then what's coming next won't come as a complete shock to you."

How could he not forget? About a week ago, he was laughing at this same girl as she was held down by the two henchmen now unconscious in the room. He enjoyed that pained expression as his men took the kids away from her, and enjoyed how powerful he felt as he taunted the girl.

Now, the tables were turned.

"You picked the wrong older sister to mess with," the girl continued. "And unfortunately for you, it'll be the last mistake you ever make."

He had no chance to react. In one swift motion, the girl had aimed her pistol and shot. He was only aware she was even holding the gun a split second before the bullet struck him.

Kotori watched as the Magistrate's now lifeless body fell forward. She only felt a little sorry for him, but only very briefly. He got exactly what he deserved, she knew.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the office door move, very slightly. She almost thought she was imaging things, until she heard a very soft thud. Moving to the door, she pulled it open, and was terrified by what she saw.

It was Honoka, on her knees sitting in the middle of the hallway. Her eyes were just staring blankly ahead of her. Kotori didn't need to guess why.

"You saw everything, didn't you?"

Honoka slowly nodded.

Kotori sighed. "Look, Honoka. I know you probably think we shouldn't have killed him, and that we should have just had him arrested so he could answer for his crimes, but-"

"That's not it." Honoka's voice shook a little. "I can understand why you let Nico kill him… but…"

Kotori noticed that Honoka's voice got shakier as she continued to speak. When Honoka finally looked up at Kotori, her eyes were full of tears.

"What if someone finds out about this, and then finds out that you were one of the people who did it?"

Kotori was a bit lost. "Uh… I don't-"

"Kotori, don't you remember? I snuck you out of the castle prison. Our families don't like each other. You already had a bounty on you even before we left Zenethra. I don't want anything to bad to happen to you. But if you get caught after all this…" she shook her head as more tears fell freely down her face.

To her surprise, Honoka felt Kotori's hands leave her shoulders to wrap around her as she was pulled close to Kotori.

"That's not going to happen," Kotori said gently.

"How- how can you be so sure?" Honoka asked, trying to control her sobs.

"Because I have someone who cares for me and for who I am, and there's no way I'm going to upset her by being caught."

Honoka felt Kotori's hug around her tighten, and she knew now what Kotori meant. Without really thinking, she returned the hug, and found herself thinking of how warm Kotori felt right now.

"If you two don't mind…"

Nico's voice brought the two back to their senses. Realizing that they were still hugging each other, they quickly separated, still on their knees. They looked away from each other, and Nico saw the red tints coloring both their faces. She rolled her eyes.

"We should probably dispose of this if we don't want to leave any evidence," she said, the Magistrate's body thrown over her shoulder.

"R-right," Kotori answered.

"W-we should hurry," Honoka suggested. "Everyone's worried about you two."

* * *

**Hey guys, nobodD here! (finally)**

**So, I'm super sorry that this chapter took soo long for me to finish T.T I've been really busy the last few weeks. I won't bore you with details, just a lot of personal things that have come up. And the stress is starting to take a toll on me.**

**On top of that, this chapter was just extremely long. It's now the longest single FanFic document I've written. **

**Anyway, onto the happier/normal-sounding portion of my notes.**

**So something I introduced early in this chapter, and that I want to be using a lot more of, is the idea of macros. The basic idea is that macros are shortcuts to casting spells and using techniques faster. I had a discussion with one of you guys about the characters having to chant spells and "calling out" their special moves, which got me to rethink how I do fights. For me, I don't mind still writing out the move names themselves, so that you guys know what's happening. But I'm going to get rid of the whole "chanting" portion for spells, EXCEPT for really powerful spells. I feel like insanely strong spells should still need to be chanted and no one should be able to use a shortcut to use them. But for the most part, spells will just have their names said and I'll still describe what the spell does.**

**So here's something I really enjoyed coming up with the idea to: Nico's style. First off, the whole magic bullet thing. In a lot of games, or at least a lot of JRPGs I've played, the characters that use guns/bows/crossbows, just never run out of ammo (no complaints here, ammo counts suck X3). With Nico I didn't want ammo to be a problem either, so I tried to give an explanation relevant to this story on why that won't happen.**

**As for why Nico uses two guns and elemental enchantments, well I just thought it was a cool idea X3. Though, Nico's magic will only be limited to elementally enchanting weapons. If she could do anything else with magic along with using her guns, that'd be way too good X3 Also it would clash with an idea I have for later on in the story.**

**Here's something you might have found odd or at least interesting. Why did I give Eli a scythe, and not a sword like you'd expect from a knight? A few reasons:**

**Kotori has a sword, Honoka has a rapier, and Rin has knives/daggers. I needed someone with a longer raged melee weapon to "balance" the party out.**

**This reason will be made clear later :D**

**I think scythes are cool. Noticing a theme here? X)**

**Okay for the record, I don't have a thing against parents. Again, pulling from my experiences with JRPGs, most of the time the parents of the main characters are either never mentioned or dead. Since this story is styled after a JRPG series, if I ever mention parents for a character's back story, aside from Kotori and Honoka's (who we know are alive), it's most likely going to be a sad back story.**

**So… the ending of this chapter was fairly dark. Actually, it could've been a lot worse, but I have to keep this story T. So, nothing very graphic. Also, I was going to go in a different direction with Kotori and Honoka's conversation at the end, but then I remembered that this needs to turn into a romance story later. So, I thought I'd throw in that conversation to end the scene instead X3**

**I am SO sorry that I wrote so much. Even my notes are really long T.T I thank you though, for putting up with and reading through everything. I would love to hear your comments and questions in reviews as always.**

**Alrighty, FINALLY done with this chapter. I won't try and guess how long the next chapter will take me, because that always goes wrong it seems. X3**

**Whether it's the next chapter or the preview of a new story I'm thinking of starting, I hope to see you next time!~**


	12. Rest and Rewards

**lychee-ran: Haha cool, I go all the emotions I wanted from those scenes X3 "Done," or "Just beginning?" Haha, once everyone's together the fun really begins!**

**Vlad Leonardo: I totally agree. After all, only badass characters get to duel wield, haha X3 Heh… Like I said, gotta keep it T and THAT kind of ending would definitely need to change the story to M… If you want, just imagine a more graphic scene, haha.**

**Guest: First off, don't worry, I read all my reviews X3 I understand, sometimes OC characters can make or break the story. Maria's character took a very long time and A LOT of thinking before I felt she was right for the story. For Muse themselves, I actually based my choices on the weapons, and whoever I felt fit the weapon style, with personalities coming after that. Oh, and I absolutely adore Honoka in elegant clothing ^,^ EliMaki could be a potential future, but we'll see what people say later on when I ask again. Don't apologize for starting late, I don't hold those kind of things against people. Thanks for the nice review =] Make a FF account if you haven't already so I can address you properly next time X3**

***Disclaimer: I do NOT own Love Live!**

* * *

"Ah, there they are."

Hearing Maria's voice, the others looked up from what they were doing. They saw Nico, Kotori, and Honoka appear from the hallway and into the lobby.

"See? I told you there was nothing to worry about," the maid said.

"Onee-chan!" rang three voices.

Before long, Nico found herself being hugged by her siblings. Not as quickly as the little ones, the others got up to meet with Kotori and Honoka.

"So, where did you all disappear to?" Maki asked.

"Well…" Kotori began.

"They were trying to catch the Magistrate," Honoka finished before Kotori could say anything.

"Eh?" came several surprised responses.

"Yeah, they noticed the Magistrate trying to slip away while we were escorting everyone out of the manor. Right?"

Kotori realized what Honoka was up to. "Right. We tried to stop him, but he just managed to slip away."

"Slip away? How?" Rin asked.

"Apparently there was a secret exit he had created just in case, and he never shared with anyone," Kotori explained. "By the time we discovered it, he was long gone."

"Aw… is that true?" Kotarou asked Nico.

"Y-yeah… I'm sorry," Nico answered.

"It's okay Onee-chan," Kokoro said cheerfully. "As long as he's gone and never comes back, then everything will be fine."

"Don't worry, I don't think we'll be hearing from the ex-Magistrate ever again," Kotori said. Only Nico and Honoka knew the hidden meaning.

Hanayo started stretching. "Well, I don't know about you all, but I think it's about time to call it a day."

"Agreed," Eli said. "It's pretty late at this point."

"Now that you mention it, I am pretty tired," Maki said, fighting back a yawn.

"Then let's head back to the inn," Kotori suggested. "I think we more than deserve to rest."

"You all can go ahead," Nico said. "My siblings and I are going to go back to our apartment."

"Oh, okay. What about you Eli?" Honoka asked.

"I'm not sure. I don't have anything specific to do now that this incident is over with."

"How about spending the night with us?" Rin suggested.

"You can help us keep an eye on Honoka-sama, in case she tries to wander off again," Maria said jokingly.

"Hey, I can hear everything, you know," Honoka said, pouting.

Everyone enjoyed a laugh together as they left the manor. After crossing the bridge, they said their goodbyes to the Yazawa siblings and returned to their room at the inn. Honoka and Maria shared one bed, while Kotori and Maki shared the other. Rin, Eli, and Hanayo were fine with using sleeping bags on the floor, because of Rin and Eli's training and Hanayo being used to it from traveling so much.

Quickly and quietly, the seven of them drifted off to sleep.

* * *

The next day felt very different compared to when they first arrived yesterday. Instead of the quiet and abandoned streets they arrived to yesterday, the streets were full of people going in all directions.

"This place is so much livelier now!" Honoka exclaimed.

"Well, the Magistrate did capture a lot of people," Maki pointed out.

"True. And it seems like those he didn't capture were too scared to even leave their houses," Hanayo added.

"It's not all bad," Maria said. "Some people get to benefit from it."

They all looked over to the right of where they were sitting on the fountain. For some time now, there was a decent sized crowd gathered there. At the center of the crowd were Rin and Eli, being showered with praise and appreciation. Over to the left of them was a similarly sized crowd, with Nico at the center.

The crowds weren't very surprising to them. For the people who didn't know any better, it was easier for them to assume that the two Knights were the ones that set everyone free. The same could be said for Nico, seeing as how she's a local and very well known in the city. Of course, her siblings going around spreading tales helped as well.

The other five didn't mind the lack of recognition though. It meant that they didn't have to deal with the crowds themselves, which meant there was less risk of someone recognizing Honoka. They still got some notice from the locals that they saved last night that remember who they are, which was enough for them.

Eventually most of the crowd surrounding Eli and Rin had things they needed to do for the day, and dispersed. Now free, they made their way over to the fountain where the others were sitting.

"So, what do you all plan to do from here?" Eli asked the group.

"The princess here wants to visit my hometown of Dahngrest," Kotori answered.

"Dahngrest… So you'll be taking a boat to Telos Astue then, huh?"

Honoka noticed that Eli's voice had trailed off toward the end, and that her gaze felt a little distant.

"Is something wrong?" Honoka asked.

Eli sighed. "I just don't feel completely comfortable with the idea of you leaving Izolle on a whim. And traveling to Dahngrest of all places…" She caught Kotori's eyes. "No offense."

Kotori shrugged. "I'm pretty aware of Dahngrest's reputation around here." _Though to people here, my family's reputation is A LOT worse,_ she thought to herself.

"Don't worry," Rin said. "I'll be going with them."

"You are?" Honoka asked in excitement.

"Of course. It is my duty to protect you after all. You can count on me."

"Us too," Maki joined in. "We'll all help with protecting Honoka."

"That's right," Hanayo nodded.

Rin turned to Eli. "Is that reassuring enough?"

"Hmm… Well I know I can count on you and Maria. And the rest of you proved yourselves to be very capable last night…" Eli closed her eyes as she considered a few more points in her head.

Honoka chose then to speak up. "You know, you could always come with us."

Everyone turned to look at Honoka. The princess saw from the others' faces that the thought never crossed their minds. They all looked back to Eli for her answer.

"I suppose I could…" Eli said slowly. "Though, it's unusual for a Cygnus Knight to ever have to leave Izolle for any reason. For two to leave on a whim…"

"If it makes things easier, I can make it an official assignment," Honoka said. "_For my protection,_ right?"

"Well we only listen to the King, which includes the Royal Family by extension, so that would work." Eli smiled. "Okay, I'll be joining you all then."

The first to cheer was Rin, who also hugged Eli. The others showed their approval as well. While they were distracted with that, Maria tapped Honoka on the shoulder.

"As nice as their sentiments are, it's not like you're some helpless princess or anything," the maid whispered.

Honoka smiled. "I'll be counting on you, like always."

Hearing her hidden question answered, Maria smiled as well. "I won't let you down."

"Well," Kotori said, addressing their group, "We still have some time before the boat leaves. What should we do?"

"Boat? Where are you all going to?"

They all turned to see Nico, having finally gotten rid of the crowd keeping her busy earlier.

"To Telos Astue, to visit Dahngrest," Kotori replied.

"Telos Astue…" Nico repeated to herself. Then she spoke up. "If that's the case, let me come with you."

"Eh?" Everyone was surprised by the sudden request.

"Are you sure?" Hanayo asked. "What about your siblings?"

"I can arrange things with people here. Besides, I have some unfinished business in Telos Astue." There was a bit of an edge in Nico's voice.

"Unfinished business, huh?" Kotori repeated. "Are you from Felgana?"

Nico nodded. "We don't have to go there right away, but I'd like to stop there at some point, and I'd feel better if I had you all with me. So…"

"You don't need to explain yourself to us," Honoka interrupted. "We'd love to have you with us, right?"

The others all nodded their agreement. Nico smiled.

"Thanks everyone."

"We still have time before the boat leaves," Kotori said. "And you still have to talk to the owner of your apartment complex, right?"

"Yeah. It'll be really quick, so I'll meet you all at the dock."

Nico turned and quickly ran off. They watched her go before deciding to just go to the dock to wait.

"Do you think it's really alright for Nico to leave her siblings like this?" Maki asked.

"Well, with the old Magistrate gone, there shouldn't be any problems here anymore," Rin said.

Eli nodded. "I sent a report of what happened here with Yuri back to the King as well. They'll have a new, much more trustworthy Magistrate appointed sometime soon."

"Oh, that's good then," Maki said, satisfied.

_I had no idea all these things were happening in Izolle…,_ Honoka thought. _How am I going to make a good queen someday if I don't even know what's happening…_

Sensing her master's thoughts, Maria rested a hand on Honoka's shoulder. "You shouldn't worry about things like that right now. Those concerns will be answered when the time is right."

Maria had spoken softly, but Kotori, who was walking close by, managed to catch it.

"What are we talking about over here?" Kotori asked.

"Nothing," Maria responded, smiling to keep her composure. "Just words between master and maid."

Kotori raised an eyebrow at the vague response, looking to Honoka for a better answer. Honoka mimicked Maria, smiling.

"That's right, nothing that you need to know."

The small laugh the two shared told Kotori there answer was far from the truth. But realizing they wouldn't answer her directly, she just shrugged and dropped the topic.

* * *

**Hey guys, nobodD here!**

**So after the events of the last few chapters, I thought a short and relaxing chapter was definitely needed. Also Eli and Nico officially join the party.**

**Really there's not much to say. This chapter is just to unwind a bit. Pretty short, to make up for making you read that long last chapter X3**

**Next stop, Telos Astue! See you guys then~**


	13. New land, Same problems

***Disclaimer: I do NOT own Love Live!**

* * *

Honoka, Maki, and Hanayo stood along the rail. Hanayo was standing normally, Honoka was leaning a little over the rail, and Maki was resting her arms along the rail. They were all enjoying the warmth from the sun combined with the cool breeze, and even the rocking motion of the boat.

"This feels really nice," Hanayo said dreamily.

"This view is incredible, too," Maki added.

"This is just… perfect," Honoka concluded.

"Well, maybe aside from the saltwater smell," Maki said.

"Almost perfect," Honoka corrected herself.

"I'm a little upset now that this isn't going to be a long ride," Hanayo admitted. "I wouldn't mind a longer trip just to enjoy this."

"That wouldn't be too bad," Maki agreed.

Honoka pulled herself back so that she was standing on the boat again. She turned around, spotting the other five of their group and started waving. Maria and Rin waved back and smiled.

"They seem to be really enjoying their first boat ride," Kotori said, an amused expression on her face as Honoka turned back around.

"Well at least they are enjoying it," Nico said. "It would be unfortunate if any of them got seasick."

They looked to the right of where Honoka, Maki, and Hanayo were, to the unfortunate soul that has been hunched over the rail since a few minutes after they left port. They all nodded their agreement at the sight.

"So, what's so special about Felgana?" Rin asked, returning everyone to the conversation.

"Imagine a city with no real law, crimes everywhere, violence, and so on. That's the kind of place Felgana is," Kotori answered.

Nico nodded. "It was basically sink or swim even being in that city. Life was hard no matter what, but it was much harder if you couldn't stand up for yourself. Being left by our parents was nearly a death sentence. Had it only been me, I could have managed somehow, since by then I taught myself how to use a gun. But having my siblings to defend as well was close to impossible."

"Based on the apartment owner back in Capua Nor, it sounds like you only moved recently, right?" Eli asked.

"Yeah… I wanted to leave Felgana for years, but I couldn't until recently."

"That's understandable, judging by the prices for a single boat ticket," Rin said.

"By some luck or miracle, I found someone that could help me with affording the tickets," Nico continued. "I had to do favors for him for a certain amount of time and he'd get the tickets. It was too good to be true…"

"Favors?" Eli asked, a slight hint of concern in her voice.

"Oh no, he didn't make me do anything like _that_, thankfully. Still, they were always jobs that put me at risk of dying, because of the people I had to deal with. This continued well past the original time period we agreed to. He kept saying there were complications with getting the tickets, but in reality he had gotten them a while ago. He was just using me to do all these risky jobs that he didn't want to do himself."

"That's sickening," Rin said.

"Yeah," Kotori agreed. "Makes sense why you want to get back at him."

"Well, it's not for that specifically," Nico said. "It's for what he did to my siblings, which I found out about after we finally left Felgana."

"You and your siblings have had such a hard life… I'm sorry to hear," Maria said sympathetically.

"Are you really comfortable with having left them in Capua Nor then?" Rin asked.

"Well, people can't get much worse than in Felgana," Nico said. "And I've seen how completely different people in Capua Nor have been. Even my siblings say how much happier they are living there, even though it's only been a few months."

"Well, when we return to Izolle, I can put in a word for you and your siblings with the King," Maria said.

"Are you sure?"

The maid nodded. "I can't guarantee what he'll do, but being friends with and protecting Honoka-sama will put you in good light."

"I guess we'll see what happens later, then. Thanks for the offer though."

"Speaking of the princess… where are those three?" Kotori asked, looking around.

The other four looked up, noticing that Honoka, Maki, and Hanayo were no longer in the same spot. Looking around, they were nowhere in sight. A slight bit of panic started sinking in until a familiar voice popped up behind them.

"What are you all looking for?"

"Oh, Hanayo, there you are," Rin said, first to recover from being startled.

"Where have you three been? And where's Honoka-sama and Maki now?" Maria asked.

"Over there," Hanayo said, turning around and pointing to where she just came from.

The others looked to where she was pointing. Relieved, they spotted Honoka and Maki. They seemed to be having an entertaining conversation with two other passengers, as all four of them were laughing a great deal.

"Yeah, they're enjoying themselves," Eli said, smiling.

They continued to watch as the two strangers handed two identical items to Honoka and Maki, which both of them accepted. The four waved their goodbyes before turning away from each other. Honoka and Maki found the others and made their way to them, big smiles on both of their faces as they approached.

"Hey everyone," Honoka said in a very cheerful voice.

"You two are quite cheerful," Nico said.

"Hehe, you think so?" Maki asked, an equally cheerful voice to Honoka's.

"Just a guess," Maria answered, sharing in the cheerful mood with a smile of her own. "What did those two guys give you?"

"Oh you should see them," Honoka answered.

She and Maki pulled out the two items, both holding it in their right hands. They held it a little up and brought it a little away from their bodies. Then they flicked their wrist downwards, revealing papers with intricate designs.

"Paper fans?" Hanayo asked.

"Yup! Look, aren't these designs pretty?" Maki asked very excitedly.

"The designs are really nice," Eli agreed.

"You sound quite happy about this fan," Kotori pointed out.

"Well, I never really had things like this," Maki explained, turning the fan around a few times as she admired it. "They didn't seem very important before. But for whatever reason, I just feel so drawn to this."

"Why did those guys even have these fans?" Rin asked. "And why did they give them to you?"

"They said they just found them while traveling," Honoka answered. "They didn't want or need them, so they just gave them to us."

"Really…" Maria said, standing up from her seat.

She walked up to Honoka and Maki, eyeing the fans intently. Maki gave the maid a curious look, unsure of what to do. Honoka knew the look Maria had, and handed her maid the fan. Maria took the fan, running a finger along the paper, turning it around and doing the same on the other side. Then she closed the fan and holding the ends gently with both hands. She twisted it with her fingers a few times, tossed it in the air twice while making it spin.

She handed the fan back to Honoka and then looked expectantly at Maki. Now understanding, Maki handed Maria her fan, and Maria repeated the process with Maki's fan. She nodded, satisfied with her inspection, and handed the fan back to Maki.

"Clean," the maid reported. "No tampering, they're completely ordinary fans."

"You really think those could've been trapped?" Nico asked.

"Maria-san is Kousaka-sama's maid," Eli explained. "She's to protect Honoka from any potential danger. Inspecting for anything suspicious in items is an automatic response, whether or not she actually thought something was wrong with those fans."

"Well, it was a little weird that random strangers just gave them something without a reason," Hanayo said.

The conversation continued, but Honoka stopped paying attention. Something else had caught her eye in the background. It was someone holding a bow, a girl judging by the long blue hair. She had the string drawn back, an arrow already knocked and aimed outward toward the sea. She released the arrow and watched it fly for a few seconds. As it flew, Honoka now noticed that there was a thing rope attached to the arrow. The arrow fell into the sea, and the girl started pulling on the string. Honoka watched her retrieve the arrow, a fish pierced through the tip. The girl removed the fish and tossed it into a nearby bucket.

"At least in Telos Astue no one really knows about Honoka," Kotori said. "We won't have to worry about people targeting her for being a princess."

"We should still be careful, though," Rin suggested. "You never know what could happen."

"Honoka?" Hanayo called.

Honoka's attention snapped back to her friends. "H-huh?"

"Are you alright? You were kind of spacing out back there."

"Y-yeah, I'm fine. There's nothing to worry about."

As Honoka looked up again, the girl with the bow she had seen earlier was gone now.

* * *

Soon after they reached Capua Torim, Telos Astue's port town.

"Well that was fun and all, but it feels good to be back on land," Maki said once they were off the boat.

"Agreed," Hanayo said.

"Well we'll have to take a boat again when we go to Strahta," Honoka pointed out. "So we'll get to do it again."

"Good news," Kotori said as she returned. "I got us transportation, so we won't have to walk as much."

"That's good," Rin said. "I could honestly do with some more rest."

"Hey you three! Let's get going," Eli called out.

Honoka, Maki, and Hanayo hurried back over from where they had wandered off. Once they rejoined the others, Kotori led them to a clearing. There was a collection of vehicles that looked like carriages, hovering off the ground using magic.

"Last call for the trip to Dahngrest!" said one of the drivers.

They hurried over to one of the last available vehicles. To their pleasant surprise, they found that they'd be able to fit all eight of them into one vehicle. They all climbed into a vehicle and waited for the other passengers to fill the others, noticing that they were mostly other people that were on the boat. Soon enough, the convoy started moving.

"There's a lot of nice scenery around here," Maria said, looking around.

"Yeah, it's very peaceful," Hanayo added.

"So, how long does it take to get to Dahngrest like this?" Eli asked.

"You should probably get comfortable, it'll take a few hours," Kotori answered. She looked up to the sky. "It'll be late in the day by the time we get there."

"You don't have to tell them twice," Rin said.

They all followed Rin's gaze. Maki was resting her head on Honoka's shoulder, while Honoka's head rested against Maki's, both of them already fast asleep.

"How…" Nico began to question.

"I suppose they were pretty active on the boat," Eli said.

"That's true," Rin said, remembering the activities that occurred on the deck of the ship.

"Honoka-sama didn't sleep much last night either," Maria added. "She was up with excitement for most of the night."

"She was?" Hanayo asked.

Maria nodded. "It's her first time leaving Izolle. And she knows it's an opportunity she'll rarely get a chance to take."

"What about Maki?" Eli asked Kotori.

"I don't know, I fell asleep before her," Kotori answered. "Though it was a bit later that I finally fell asleep, so she probably was like Honoka."

"Then I guess it's understandable why they're so tired."

"Well, there isn't much else for them to do," Hanayo said, to which the others nodded in agreement.

For a while, there was a relaxing mood around them. They either made light conversation about nothing important, or sat quietly and took in more of the surrounding forest.

It wasn't until the vehicle started slowing down that their good mood was interrupted. They looked around, seeing that it was the entire convey that was being stopped. Everyone got out of the vehicle, except for Kotori who was keeping an eye on the sleeping pair.

"Excuse me, what's going on?" Eli asked one of the drivers.

"There is some debris blocking the route," he answered, pointing. They saw a huge pile of rubble in their path.

"How is that possible?" Hanayo asked. "There isn't anything around here that could've caused that."

"Most likely someone brought it here using magic," Nico answered. "Occasionally there are problems with people like that around this forest."

"I see. Will you need any help?" Eli asked.

"No, I think we got it. Plus it's against our policy not to bother passengers unless it's an emergency."

"I understand. We'll just-"

"Take cover!" they heard someone yell.

At first no one knew how to react. Some people looked up instinctively, just as a giant ball of fire came crashing into one of the rear-most vehicles, sending it flying. Everyone started panicking, running every which way to try and find cover.

"Mortar strikes?" Rin asked. "What's going on?"

"I don't know, but we need to find cover, now!" Eli said.

However, Maria started running along the road.

"Maria?! Where are you going?" Hanayo called after her.

"The others!" Nico realized.

But before any of them could get any further, they saw several more mortar shots came crashing down, sending vehicles flying in other directions. One landed close enough that didn't hit them but sent them flying into the forest.

* * *

When Honoka woke up, she found that she was no longer sitting in the comfortable seat of that vehicle, and was now lying on her side. She looked around, seeing that instead of being on the road, she was in the middle of a bunch of trees.

A groan under her brought her attention back. She was only now aware that she was laying on top of Kotori, one of the ash-blond's arms wrapped around her.

"K-Kotori? Are you okay?"

Kotori stirred a little, her eyes slowly opening. Their eyes met, and she forced a smile. "Well, I've felt better, but nothing's broken."

Honoka let out a breath she didn't know she was holding, relief washing over her. "What happened?"

"I think we walked into a trap. There was something blocking the road that stopped the convoy, and then we got hit by fireballs."

"What? No way…"

Kotori nodded. "We got sent flying into the forest. Luckily I stayed with you and Maki, or you two could've been done for."

"I see…" Honoka was now aware of Maki in Kotori's other arm. She seemed to be fine, like Honoka was. "Thanks for saving us."

"I have a promise to keep, remember?"

Honoka smiled, realizing that Kotori wasn't badly hurt if she was still joking like this. "Where are the others?"

"They went to investigate when we first stopped. So when the attack happened, we got separated."

"Really? Then…"

There was a high pitched whistle that resounded throughout the forest. In one quick motion, Honoka freed herself from Kotori and stood up, looking up at the sky. She found what she was looking for, a very faint explosion. It was something only she could see.

"The others are okay," she said, starting to smile.

"Oh? How do you know?" Kotori asked, though she had a vague idea already.

"If we were ever to get separated unexpectedly like this, Maria and I have special signals."

As she spoke, Honoka pulled out a card seemingly out of thin air. Kotori recognized it as one of Maria's spellcards. Honoka held it up to the air. It flashed twice before disappearing. Again, Kotori couldn't see anything, but Honoka watched as her signal flew into the air, exploding once it was high enough.

"They got knocked into the forest as well, but on the other side of the road," Honoka reported. "It seems like that area is sectioned off by fire magic. We're going to have to find a way around it."

"How about I look at it first?" came Maki's voice, a little strained.

Honoka turned around and got on her knees next to where Kotori and Maki lay. "How are you feeling?"

"My leg hurts a little, but I'm fine," Maki answered. "What happened?"

"I'll explain on the way," Kotori said.

As they were getting up, Honoka heard a groan somewhere behind her. She turned around, finding a familiar blue-haired girl leaning against a tree. Honoka hurried over.

"Hey, are you okay?"

"I suppose you could say that," the girl responded.

But that's when Honoka noticed a bit of blood. "Ah, you're knee…"

"Oh this? It's nothing. Just hit something before landing here."

"That won't do… Here."

Honoka held out her hand. The girl looked at her curiously.

"One of our friends should be able to help you," Honoka explained. "So come with us."

"I suppose I don't have any other choice," the girl replied.

She held out her hand so Honoka could help her up. Honoka stood her up on the side with her injured knee. Kotori and Maki had just joined them.

"Ah, my bow," the girl said, turning to where it lay on the ground.

Maki went over to pick it up for her. "I'll carry it."

"Thank you."

"By the way, I'm Honoka. This is Maki and Kotori," Honoka said, introducing them.

"I'm Umi. Sonoda Umi," the girl introduced.

"Well then Umi, ready to go?" Kotori asked.

Slowly the four of them started walking back toward the road.

* * *

**Hey guys, nobodD here!**

**One chapter off and the party gets thrown into another problem. Yay for fantasy stories, where things are always happening and the main chars are never allowed to rest X3**

**I really hope you can guess who this "mysterious" girl is. And yes, our next party member is here! A little banged up, but she'll be able to perform next chapter. So don't worry.**

**Also, gave a little more backstory on Nico this chapter, for good measure. Helps set up things for the next story arc, so yeah X3**

**Okay short notes this time. See you next time!**


	14. Unmasked

***Disclaimer: I do NOT own Love Live!**

* * *

"I've never seen a bow like this before…" Honoka commented.

She was looking at the bow in Maki's hands as they walked. She's only ever used a traditional bow before at the castle for sports, but she knew enough about the weapon to know that Umi's was far from normal.

"Well, it is a very specially made bow," Umi explained. "If I was in better condition, I could show it off to you."

"Don't worry, Hanayo should be able to help that easily," Kotori said.

Her leg injury was not as bad as Umi's, so she didn't need support to walk. Although it still hurt a lot for her to walk, so the four of them had to balance between walking at a comfortable pace for them but still try to hurry to rejoin the others.

"How are you two doing?" Maki asked.

"Alright," Kotori answered. "It still hurts a lot but it's bearable now."

"I still can't really feel my leg," Umi said. "But otherwise I'm fine."

"Maybe we should rest for a bit?" Maki suggested.

Kotori shook her head. "It's better if we meet with the others as soon as possible. Besides, we're close to the road again."

"Is it… getting hotter to anyone else?" Honoka asked.

"Now that you mention it, it is a lot warmer than a few minutes ago," Umi said.

"I think I found out why," Maki said, pointing ahead.

They broke free from the tree line and looked ahead. They were now able to see the road, as well as a wall of fire that separated them from it.

"D-did that attack really do this?" Honoka asked.

"No… This fire isn't natural. It's a type of barrier spell," Maki said.

"Barrier, huh? Can you do something about it?" Kotori asked.

"It can't hurt to try."

Maki pulled out her scroll and walked up to the wall of fire. The scroll started glowing as she began channeling her magic. She lifted her hand, surrounding it with magic, and placed her hand against the fire. At first nothing happened, but after a few seconds, a wave shot out from the barrier, knocking Maki down.

Honoka rushed over to Maki. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, don't worry," Maki said, sitting herself up. "I don't know if we can do anything about that barrier though."

"No way…"

Slowly, Honoka started walking toward the barrier. Her face was almost expressionless, like she was just being drawn to it out of her own control.

"Honoka, what are you doing?" Kotori called.

"There has to be some way…." Honoka said.

"Honoka get back, it's dangerous!" Maki cried out.

Honoka stopped right in front of the barrier. Like Maki, she brought her hand up, placing it against the fire. The others were expecting the barrier to fight back immediately, but it didn't. Instead, Honoka's hand began glowing, white lights flaring out as if it were fire itself. Three seconds, five seconds, Honoka still didn't move.

Then something happened that surprised everyone, even Honoka. The princess's whole body started glowing, and the fire barrier started reacting. It flared up, the top rising higher. Then in the next moment, the fire just disappeared. The heat that had accompanied the fire disappeared as well, the air returning to its normal temperature.

"How did…" Umi began, unable to form a thought.

"How did you do that?" Kotori finished the question they were all thinking.

"I… I don't know," Honoka responded slowly, staring at her hand without moving.

"That was incredible," Maki said, wonder evident in her voice.

Maki had gotten up from where she was knocked down, and joined Honoka where she stood. Without a word she grabbed the princess's outstretched hand. Honoka tensed up, a little surprised by the redhead's sudden appearance.

"How much magic do you have?" Maki asked, not looking away from the hand.

"I'm not sure…"

"Well, at the very least you have more than the average person, because you were giving off a strong magic aura."

"Is that not common?" Kotori asked.

Maki shook her head. "Most people don't give off an aura at all while using magic. It's a sign of a strong mage when another mage can feel that aura. Were you able to feel it?"

"Well, I did feel something different than usual when Honoka's hand touched the barrier," Umi said.

Maki raised an eyebrow. "That's extremely rare. For a non-magic user to feel it at all…" she faced Honoka again. "You must have an incredible amount of magic at your disposal."

"If you say so…" Honoka wasn't sure how else to respond. Instead, she started looking around. "Where is… anyone?"

She was expecting to see some trace of the convoy, either a vehicle or person that happened to survive. But there was nothing, only the resulting holes and black spots from the mortar strike. Otherwise, the road was totally empty.

"There's not a trace of anyone at all…"

"Maybe they went looking for a city?" Umi suggested.

"Can't be, there isn't a city near enough to walk to from here," Kotori said.

"Maybe they ran deeper into the forest?" Maki thought. "Either way, we should think about finding the others first."

"I hope we find them soon… I haven't ever been separated from Maria-chan for this long…" Honoka said, her expression matching her discomfort.

"I wouldn't worry too much," Maki said reassuringly. "They can take care of themselves, and I'm sure-"

A loud shriek, very familiar to them, interrupted Maki. They looked around in the sky. At first Umi wondered why, but she soon found out when she looked up herself. She saw a dragon with a rider flying directly toward them, closing the distance fast.

"You again…" Anger was clear in Maki's voice.

Maki was already starting a spell. The ring around her flared red, fire gathering in front of her. With a wave of her arm, the gathering fire shot forward. The dragon had to abandon its attack to avoid the fire, pulling up and flying over the four of them which caused a violent wind underneath. Umi used her arms to keep herself upright, while Kotori dropped low to keep herself stable. Honoka managed to throw a simple barrier around her and Maki just in time to block the wind.

They looked as the dragon flew higher into the sky, noticing that the rider was missing. Instinctively, Honoka drew her rapier and spun around. She just barely managed to catch the tip of a spear with her rapier, stopping the spear from striking her head. Though, with the differences between the two weapons, as well as her physical strength, Honoka had trouble keeping the spear away. Slowly, the dragon rider forced the spear closer and closer to Honoka.

Just as the spear tip was by Honoka, a hissing sound could be heard. The rider jumped backwards, just barely avoiding a pair of arrows that flew between Honoka and where the rider just stood. Everyone looked over to Umi, who had somehow managed to reach her bow where Maki dropped it. She found a comfortable position for her to use the bow, and already had another pair of arrows knocked on the string and aimed at the rider.

"Honoka, Maki, watch out!" Kotori called behind them.

Maki spun around and froze at what she saw. A wolf had appeared suddenly and was charging straight for them. Honoka turned away from the rider and saw the wolf behind them as well. With her free arm she grabbed onto Maki and dove forward, dodging them out of the way of the wolf.

Though, a loud tearing sound filled the air, followed by something hitting the ground.

"M-my scroll!" Maki cried out.

Honoka turned around and saw part of Maki's scroll laying torn on the ground by their feet, the other end in the wolf's mouth. The wolf tossed the piece aside and got ready for another attack.

"Oh, now you've done it."

Honoka was quickly back on her feet, rapier ready and already casting a spell as the wolf started forward again. Light orbs appeared in front of Honoka, changing their forms into swords. With a subtle flick of the rapier she turned the spell loose, the light swords darting forward.

As quick as Honoka had been, the wolf was just a little bit more. It jumped to the right, barely avoiding one of the swords, before continuing toward Honoka. Once it was close enough, it leapt forward. Knowing Maki was still behind her, Honoka decided not to dodge out of the way again. Instead, she stepped forward. As the wolf came down upon her, she lowered herself slightly, avoiding its attempt at biting her. In response, Honoka drove the rapier handle into the wolf's stomach. Finishing her swinging motion, she knocked the wolf away.

Meanwhile, the rider turned her attention to Umi. She tried stepping toward the archer, but Umi already started firing arrows, making the girl have to sidestep to dodge. But as she was dodging, she was still slowly closing the distance to Umi. She soon got within range with her spear and tried attacking Umi. Kotori appeared out of nowhere, lunging forward and deflecting the spear with her sword just in time.

Keeping focused, Umi rattled off more arrows. Kotori had enough awareness to keep her head ducked while the arrows flew over her head. In her prone position, she marveled at the bluenette's speed and accuracy. She was releasing another arrow at almost the same speed as she saw Nico shoot with a single pistol. She probably would've been landing every arrow on target, but the dragon rider's movements were noteworthy as well, just barely avoiding getting hit.

The wolf landed on its feet near the side of the road and looked around, spotting the dragon rider. Their eyes met, a silent message passing between them. Then the wolf was back to action. But rather than running toward Honoka and Maki again, it ran to the right toward the back of one unsuspecting archer.

"Umi!"

Honoka was the one who cried out. She knew there was no spell she could cast in time to protect the bluenette, and Maki had no way of using magic with her scroll destroyed. They could only look in terror as the wolf closed in.

Though, Umi had a trick of her own. She placed both her hands in the middle of the bow handle, tightened her grip, and pulled her bow apart. As the two ends came apart, their forms changed, now taking the shape of two swords. Using her good leg, Umi turned herself to the wolf. She positioned one of the blades just in time, as the wolf bit down on metal rather than her flesh. With her other hand, she swept the other sword around. The wolf reacted in time, jumping back to avoid the blade.

Honoka had no real time to admire what just happened. The dragon rider had switched back to her, and the princess once again had to fight with her rapier against that spear.

Maki's mind had been fairly blank for a while now. She wasn't sure what to do. She couldn't use her magic without some kind of channeling item. And with her scroll destroyed and no backup weapon, Maki could only sit there and watch her friends fight off the sudden attack.

"Even the girl we just met is helping out," she said to herself.

Since she wasn't paying attention, Maki was a bit surprised as Honoka was knocked down ahead of her. As Honoka hit the ground, the fan that had been in her pocket was knocked out, landing on the ground for Maki to see.

The redhead looked up from Honoka, seeing the dragon rider closing in. Suddenly, Maki darted forward. She picked up the fan, flicking it open as she positioned it by her waist on the opposite side. Praying for something good to happen, Maki whipped it across her body.

A violent gust of wind shot forward in response, somehow avoiding Honoka, but catching the dragon rider mid-step and throwing her backwards. The rider adjusted herself in midair to land on her feet, but further back from the duo than she started.

Maki could only stay still on her knees, surprised. For one, she hadn't expected to find anything to replace her scroll as a channeling item so quickly and easily. For another, she's used that wind spell a number of times, but she never could get it to reach this kind of power before.

An idea popped up in Maki's head. She felt in her pocket for the fan that she was given. She pulled it out and flicked it open as she stood up. She began casting a simple fire spell, one of the first she had learned. She released the spell, the fireballs flaring out forward.

Just like the wind spell, the fire came out significantly stronger than Maki ever casted it before. Maki aimed it pretty high, but Honoka still had to lower herself to the ground to avoid the flames.

When Maki casted the spell, she had waved her right arm. As the fireballs flew, Maki spun to her left, a green spell circle glowing around her as she turned. She waved her left arm as she finished. She hoped it would cast the earth spell she had in mind, which it did. A rock wall formed around every side of the dragon rider except for her front, prevent her from moving. Without a way to dodge, she could only sit there and take the hit. The fireball crashed into the rider with a loud crash.

Once the fire spell cleared away, it revealed a very cracked, but still standing rock wall. The dragon rider was sitting at its base, her armor cracked in several places. The wolf, who was starting to get an edge over the injured duo, back away from Kotori and Umi in favor of running toward the dragon rider. It started prodding the girl with its nose, and Maki could have sworn it had a concerned look. But she had other things to worry about.

"Are you okay?" she asked, hurrying to where Honoka was slowly getting up.

"I think so," the princess responded. "That was amazing, Maki."

"I'm just glad that it even worked."

Honoka looked over at the downed rider. "It did more than just work."

"Even I'm surprised, I didn't use much more magic than the spell required."

"Maybe the fans enhanced your magic?"

"That seems very likely. Anyway, come on."

The two of them hurried over to the dragon rider, their weapons still drawn and ready. The wolf turned as they were within a few steps, that hostile look on its face again.

"Stop."

Honoka, Maki, and the wolf all looked at the rider with surprise.

"There's no need to fight anymore. They got us."

The wolf let out what seemed like a disagreeing whine, but complied all the same. Giving up its aggressive stance, it walked back to the dragon rider and lied down to her side. The rider began gently stroking its head, a smile visible on her face as that part of her face wasn't obstructed by her helmet. Maintaining that smile, she looked back up to Honoka and Maki, surprising them once again by removing her helmet.

Long purple hair fell free from the helmet, and a pair of turquoise eyes accompanied the smile she kept wearing.

* * *

**Hey guys, nobodD here!**

**Alrighty time for my usual rambling.**

**First off, remember the fans that Honoka and Maki received on the boat? Yeah, it wasn't random. I totally love the idea of fans as a magic item. While I was showing some pics to my friend of OC's with fans, he gave me the idea of using that in this story. Luckily for me, I quickly found a way to make it possible. As far as the story points go, Maki's "attraction" to the fans last chapter was because she find a greater magic connection with them than her scroll, which is why her spells were stronger. I just realized I had no character to explain this in story, so I'm explaining here X3**

**I should touch on this while I'm still thinking about it. Honoka is able to both use combat spells as well as her rapier. Therefore, she's able to either be ranged or close-quarters. And now as you saw, Umi's able to use her weapon in a similar way, also making her a flexible fighter (once her leg is all healed up). There are 10 members, that's 4 dedicated ranged characters, 4 dedicated melee, and 2 that can go between (in terms of an rpg party), because I like balancing stuff X3.**

**Which perfectly leads into Umi, and specifically her weapon. The way her bow works is a mixed idea of two characters in the "Tales of" game series, which is Raven from Tales of Vesperia, and Hubert from Tales of Graces. Raven uses a bow that he can transform into a kind of melee weapon with a certain skill. Hubert has two gunblades that he also likes putting together into a kind of sword-staff (or is it the other way around? X3). I just simply put the two ideas together.**

**Am I getting better with my fight scenes? haha**

**Please, please tell me it's obvious who the dragon rider is now. Well, whether or not you can tell who it is by now, I'll go more into detail explaining her next chapter anyway. Oh my goodness I am excited for revealing that to you guys. I'm so excited X3. Let's just hope that means I'll write really fast and update for you guys quickly.**

**Well, see you next time!**


	15. Completing the Set

********* ******* ******* IMPORTANT ******* ******* ***  
****Please read at least toward the end of the author notes at the bottom. It's very important for the progression of this story.  
******* *** *** *** ******* ******* ******* ******* *****

**Major Mike Powell III: You know I hold nothing against you or anyone for reading late. Because Honoka didn't want any killing, and at the very least Eli, Rin, and Maria would honor that. My other excuse is that Eli is just **_**that**_** good with her weapon X3. But yeah, Honoka wouldn't approve of the killing of her own people. Kotori and Nico's stunt was out of her power though because she found out too late. At least she understands why they did it, right? X3**

***Disclaimer: I do NOT own Love Live!**

* * *

Honoka made her way to where Kotori and Umi were still sitting on the side of the road. She glanced back to where Maki was keeping an eye on the rider. Even though the purple-haired girl was just calmly petting the wolf, Honoka didn't want to leave Maki alone with her for too long.

Honoka noticed Kotori looking at the scene behind her as she approached.

"She says that we beat her, and so she's giving up," Honoka informed.

"I don't trust her, but if you're fine with it, I'll just keep that to myself."

"Thanks. How are you feeling?"

Kotori shrugged. "I'm fine. I may have injured my leg even more, but otherwise I can't complain."

Honoka frowned. "Can you stand?"

"Only one way to find out."

Kotori stabbed her sword into the ground. She slowly rose to her feet, using her sword to keep her steady. Once she was standing upright, she moved her right leg to take a step. The moment her foot left the ground, her left leg screamed in pain. Honoka caught Kotori as she fell forward. Carefully, Honoka lowered the two of them back onto the ground.

"Yeah… that's a big _no_," Kotori said, forcing a smile.

Honoka sighed. "I hope we find Hanayo soon…" Then she looked passed Kotori. "How about you Umi? How are you doing?"

"I'm in pretty much the same condition," she said. Then she looked over to Kotori. "I'm sorry you had to injure yourself to save me."

"Don't mention it," Kotori responded.

"I must apologize as well."

The three of them turned. Maki was standing there, along with the wolf and the dragon rider who had her head bowed.

"My target was only meant to be the princess. I did not mean to put the rest of you in any danger."

Kotori narrowed her eyebrows. "Why were you after Honoka?"

"Oh, I have nothing against her personally. You see, I am a mercenary. I was hired to capture her and bring her back alive."

"Mercenary?" Maki repeated. "Then, who hired you?"

The girl shook her head. "I'm sorry. While I have failed my task and most likely cannot return, I will not reveal that bit of information to anyone."

"Fair enough," Kotori sighed. "A mercenary's reputation is very important. It would be bad if you gave away highly sensitive information away."

"Thank you for understanding."

"Honoka-sama!"

Honoka easily recognized the voice, and turned right away. She saw Maria, Eli, Nico, Hanayo, and Rin emerge from the trees on the other side of the road. Her maid wasted no time, running across and throwing her arms around Honoka.

"I'm so sorry. I was careless. I shouldn't have just left your side like that. I-"

Honoka couldn't help but smile at her maid's concern. Calmly, she wrapped her arms around the worried girl to return the hug, which got her to stop talking instantly.

"It's okay, Maria-chan," she said gently. "Nothing's your fault. And even if it was, I completely forgive you."

The maid had no response. She couldn't even meet her master's gaze, instead favoring to rest her head on the princess's shoulder. The others finally reached where Honoka and Maria were standing.

"Ah, Kotori!" Hanayo said, rushing over to where she sat on the ground. Without taking her eyes off the injured leg, she asked, "What happened?"

"Well, it took a bit of a hit when we got knocked away from the mortars," Kotori explained. "Fighting didn't help either. But this is nothing compared to Umi's injury."

At the mention of the unfamiliar name, Hanayo looked around. She spotted the bluenette sitting a little to the side, and noticed her knee.

"Oh my… Well don't worry. I'll get you both fixed up soon."

Pulling out her wand and extending it to its staff form, Hanayo began channeling her magic. Kotori watched as the glowing white circle drew itself around the two of them. As it completed, Kotori immediately started to feel the healing effects of the spell, as the pain in her leg started to fade away. Within a few more seconds her leg felt like new again.

"Ah, that feels so much better," Kotori sighed contently. "Thanks Hanayo."

"You're welcome. Now for you…"

Hanayo turned to Umi. She lowered her hand over the archer's injured leg, surrounding her hand with magic. Hanayo began to gently touch different spots on Umi's leg, pausing between each to see how Umi reacts. When the bluenette didn't react, Hanayo started to press harder. Umi still didn't react.

Hanayo nodded to herself. Now with all the information she needed, she was able to decide which spell to use. She raised her staff as she began, another white glowing circle forming.

"Sorry, this is going to take a little while," Hanayo announced.

Umi nodded her understanding, and Hanayo began chanting the spell. Kotori got up with her newly-healed leg and made her way to where the others were standing. By this point, Maria had calmed down, and was standing at Honoka's side like she usually did.

"Ah, Kotori," the maid said, noticing the ash-blond approach. She bowed her head. "I must thank you for protecting Honoka-sama."

"Hey, if anything I should be thanking her and Maki for protecting me," Kotori replied.

"Ah, don't say that," Maki said. "If it wasn't for you, we could have gotten hurt pretty badly, and we all would have been done for."

"Well, I guess so… But still-"

"Kotori," Honoka interrupted. "That's not the proper response to someone thanking you."

She cocked an eyebrow to the princess's remark. Kotori wanted to say something in response, but couldn't bring herself to do it. In the end, she let out a sigh, and looked back to Maria.

"You're welcome," she said.

The maid couldn't quite keep down a chuckle, but nodded her acknowledgement all the same. Honoka could only offer a sympathetic smile and silently mouthed _thanks_ for cooperating.

"So, that's Umi," Rin said, indicating the archer before turning to the other girl. "And who are you?"

"Toujou Nozomi," the girl answered. "I'm a beast tamer from Strahta."

"Beast tamer?" Nico repeated. "Really?"

"Yes. Is that a problem?"

"Oh, no it's not a problem. I've just never actually met one before, and from Strahta no less. Not many people are able to handle living there if I recall."

"Well, it's not easy to live by a desert, even if you're on the coast of the continent."

"So if you're a tamer, then this wolf must be yours?" Eli asked.

Nozomi nodded. "Yes, but she's not only a wolf." Nozomi smiled as she saw the expected confusion on their faces. She turned to the wolf by her side. "Mimi."

The wolf nodded then walked a short distance away from the group before turning back to them. Mimi took two quick steps forward before jumping into the air. She started glowing as she rose up, and as she started to descend her form changed shapes. By the time Mimi landed in Nozomi's arms, she was no longer a wolf, but a cat.

"Wha- That's so cool!" Rin exclaimed. When she saw the surprised faces looking at her, she calmed back down. "I-I was very fond of these cats we took care of back in Zenethra."

"A-anyway," Eli said, recovering first. "How is she able to do that?"

"Mimi's a very special kind of _friend_," Nozomi explained, emphasizing the last word. "A near-extinct species that's able to change forms, so long as it's absorbed the essence of the animal it wishes to change into."

"Shape-shifting, huh?" Kotori said. "That explains a lot."

"Hmm? What do you mean?" Hanayo asked, having just finished healing Umi's leg.

Kotori looked to Nozomi. "A wolf isn't Mimi's original form, right?"

There was an edge to the girl's smile. "Oh, so you've figured it out?"

A few moments of silent confusion followed. Nozomi took the silence as an invitation. She turned away from the others, holding Mimi out in front of her. After a second, she threw the cat directly up. Mimi started glowing again, but this time didn't start to descend. Instead she kept rising into the air as her shape changed again.

As what looked like wings sprouted from Mimi's back, Kotori realized her suspicion was correct. Higher into the air Mimi ascended as her shape grew and grew. It wasn't until a familiar shriek filled the sky that the others realized what Kotori was getting at.

"A-a dragon?" Eli stuttered.

"Wait, so you're the one who attacked us several days ago," Rin realized, turning to Nozomi.

Rin was about to grab one of her daggers when Honoka stepped forward.

"Rin, wait!"

"Princess?"

"It's okay. She's not as bad as you think."

"But Honoka, she attacked us while we were sleeping," Hanayo reminded her.

"I know. But she's a mercenary, it wasn't her fault. And because we were able to beat her, she's going to give up."

Rin couldn't respond right away. She looked to where Maria, Kotori, and Maki were. "Are you all okay with this?"

"Of course," Maria answered first. "If it's Honoka-sama's wish, I will follow it."

"I'm responsible for Honoka while we're on this little adventure of hers," Kotori explained. "As long as she's not a threat to her safety, it's fine with me." She looked to Nozomi. "Although I still have my doubts."

Nozomi shrugged. "Fair enough."

Rin looked to the redhead. "Maki?"

Maki took a few seconds to respond. "It's true that I really hate dragons after what happened to my parents. But if Honoka is okay with this, then I will be too. Besides, my grudge is really against Niadra, and Nozomi and Mimi don't seem to be connected to that dragon."

Maki nodded as she finished, as if needing to convince herself. Rin couldn't help but agree with the same point that all three of them made. Rin was responsible for Honoka's safety as well, and as long as Nozomi wasn't going to be a threat any longer, that was enough for Rin.

"Alright then, I guess that's fine," Rin said. Hanayo nodded her agreement as well.

Umi, Eli, and Nico had remained quiet while the conversation played out. None of them were involved in the incident of that morning, so they didn't know any of the details. Once the conversation was over, Hanayo turned back to Umi.

"Okay, that should be long enough. You should be able to get up now, but do so slowly," she instructed.

Umi nodded. Hanayo helped Umi to her feet. Umi was expecting some pain to remain. But to her great surprise, there was no pain to speak of.

"That's incredible… It feels like nothing's happened. Thanks a lot."

"You're quite welcome."

Honoka smiled at the scene before turning back to Nozomi. "So, what are you going to do now?"

"Well, I've failed my last job by being caught. I suppose I should find another job to take."

"Why don't you come with us?" Kotori suggested.

Not surprisingly, Kotori's suggesting was met with a lot of surprise by her friends. Even Nozomi was caught off guard. Eli decided now was a good time for her to step back into the conversation.

"Look, I can understand not having to worry about her anymore, but why do you think we should bring her with us?"

"Well I know you haven't seen it, but she's a very skilled fighter. She could be helpful. And besides, if you're still weary of her, wouldn't it be easier to keep an eye on her if she was with us?"

Eli considered what Kotori just said. "That's a very good point."

Kotori turned back to Nozomi. "So, what do you say?"

"As… _interesting_ as that idea sounds, I see no reason for me to agree," Nozomi said.

"How about this," Maria spoke up. "I can promise you a reward if you can help keep Honoka-sama safe until we return to Zenethra."

"A reward huh…" Nozomi took some time to think about the offer. "What kind of reward are we talking about?"

"Anything that's within reason."

"Hmm… Well, I suppose as long as you can make it worth it, then I have no reason to turn down your offer." Nozomi nodded. "Alright, I'm in."

Kotori smiled, satisfied with that response. She then turned to Umi. "What about you?"

"Well, I don't need a reward, but I'll stick around with you all. This is my first time on Telos Astue, so I don't really know my way around here anyway," the bluenette responded.

"Great!" Honoka said happily. "I'm glad you two will both be joining us."

"Well, I guess with all that settled, we should get a move on," Eli said. "If I remember correctly, we're still a ways off from the nearest city."

"Great… More walking…" Maki groaned.

"You know, Mimi could give you a ride if you don't want to walk," Nozomi said playfully.

"…No thanks, I'm good on the ground."

They heard a cry from overhead. Nozomi let out a giggle. "I think she heard you."

Mimi descended to the ground, changing back into a wolf before hitting the ground. To her and Nozomi's surprise, Honoka approached the wolf. Mimi was alert for a few seconds before Honoka placed her hand on Mimi's head, and began petting the wolf.

"You're not afraid?" Nozomi asked. "This little one attacked you twice after all."

Honoka just smiled. "I've never had a pet before. I wasn't allowed to in the castle."

Nozomi watched in amusement as Honoka continued to pet Mimi. Mimi's instincts were very sharp, easily able to sense any danger to her or Nozomi. But right now Mimi was very relaxed, something Nozomi only saw when the two of them were alone.

"You're quite something to be able to trust others so easily."

The princess merely giggled. "I get that a lot."

She continued to pet Mimi until she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned to see the ash-blond standing beside her.

"Come on Honoka. If we start now, we might make it to Dahngrest before it's late at night."

Though she didn't wait for the princess's response, and started dragging her by the arm.

"Aww, but Kotori-"

"Nope, that's not going to work on me."

Nozomi watched as they kept going. After a bit of quiet laughing, the others started to follow the pair. Nozomi glanced to her side at Mimi.

"What a strange group we just got ourselves into."

Mimi let out a little whine that Nozomi knew to be her laugh. She giggled herself before the two caught up with the others.

* * *

**Hey everyone, nobodD here!**

**I'm super excited to talk about this. But FIRST, for those of you who don't know Rita and Judith from the game Tales of Vesperia, go to a wiki and read about them really quickly. Just enough to get an idea of their characters. Also go look at a picture of them.**

**Now, go to my dropbox (you can reach it from my fanfic profile). Go to the folder for this story and this chapter, and look at the 2 pics there.**

**Aren't I a big dork?**

**I stumbled upon those pics on pixiv a while ago. And you have no idea how amazing this was to me X3 If you're wondering, yes the idea for this story and all the heavy references for this story was inspired by those 2 pics. As long as they weren't the choices for main pairing, I just HAD to make their characters in this story modeled after Rita and Judith.**

**Can you tell what my favorite Tales game is? X3**

**Okay, back to earth. So as much as I wanted them to be similar, they also had to be unique for this story. To point things out, Rita has a love for blastia, but I didn't give Maki a similar attachment. But, Rita had a very big grudge against the dragon rider for destroying blastia (before she knew the truth). Maki has a similar grudge, though in this story I wanted it to only be against Niadra and not just dragons in general. That's also why Maki used a whip at first, before I wanted her to use fans for her magic.**

**Judith was known as the **_**dragon rider**_** before the party knew who she was. So of course Nozomi's companion had to start out as a dragon X3. Side note, originally Nozomi wasn't supposed to reveal Mimi's dragon form until later, but I figured this would give Nozomi a reason to join the party, since she wouldn't have a reason otherwise.**

**Oh… Is it too late to call [spoiler alert]? Woops X3**

**Ok, so for Nozomi's fighting style. Obviously the spear is because of the Judith reference. It's also why I gave Eli a scythe, because I needed another "long-ranged melee" weapon to complement Nozomi's spear. For Mimi, I didn't want to limit her to only one form. I thought it would be more fun if she could change shapes, limiting her to any animal she's previously conquered. Side note, Mimi's name is a reference to a character from a different RPG series that is also a kind of shape-shifter.**

**Wow… this story gets further and further from believable, doesn't it? X3**

**Well, the whole reference this was the main thing I wanted to talk about for this chapter (I probably could say more but these notes are long already). Otherwise, the little scene of Maria and Honoka is just to touch on how close they are again. Hanayo is an awesome healer. And was Kotori a bit jealous there? X3**

***** *** ***OH AND HERE'S SOMETHING IMPORTANT TO READ: *** *** *****

**Like I said earlier in the story, I wouldn't be taking suggestions for side pairings until after we've met all of the main party. Well, now you know them all. But here's the catch, and I really hope to get a lot of feedback for this because it's pretty important to how I will be proceeding.**

**I'm still undecided on whether to only have one or two side pairings only, or if everyone in the party should get a pairing. After all, there are 10 of them, so 5 pairings total can work out.**

**So here's what I need from all you readers. Either review or PM me:**

**Whether or not you want 1, 2, or all 4 side pairings**

**Nominate which side pairing(s) you would like to see. By the time the next chapter is posted, I will put up a poll with all the nominated side pairings and you will get that time to start voting.**

**While the side pairings won't heavily impact the story, they'll obviously change a lot of the smaller dialogue and interactions. Because I like writing for you all, I want to know what people would like to see even for these things. So, I hope there will be a good amount of feedback from you all.  
**** ******* ******* ******* ******* ******* ******* ******* ******* ******* ******* ******* ******* ******* ******* ******* ******* ******* *******  
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**So, who was Nozomi's mysterious contractor? And what awaits our heroines at Dahngrest? After all, it's Kotori's hometown, and don't the Minami's and Kousaka's have issues with each other? Will they reach Dahngrest safely?**

**Hope you'll stick around to find out~**


	16. Encounter

***** ******* ******* ******* ******* ******* ******* ******* ******* ******* ******* ******* *****  
* Announcement about side-pairings at the bottom. *  
******* ******* ******* ******* ******* ******* ******* ******* ******* ******* ******* ******* *****  
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**Nelura: Yes, the name came from Maple Story. I'll say it now, I'm really bad at coming up with names. Like, REALLY bad at it X3 Hence I've been referencing names from other games all over the place. Maria's name has a backstory to itself as well.**

***Disclaimer: I do NOT own Love Live!**

* * *

"Can… Can we take a break?"

"What, you can't walk for a few more minutes."

"Not unless you want to carry me."

"… Everyone, we're going to rest for a few minutes."

_Aww… That's no fun._

Thinking that, Honoka let herself fall to the ground. She felt bad at first for having to stop everyone, but the relief of being off her feet quickly got her over that. Maki sat nearby, feeling the same relief that Honoka was feeling.

Kotori sighed. She knew the area they were in very well, having been on trips with her father when she was younger that passed through this area. It was the Felgana territory, with the crime city being several minutes of walking off to their right. She also knew that the edge of the territory was a couple minutes further down the path they were on.

While Telos Astue was a bigger continent than Izolle, Dahngrest and Felgana were its only two cities not counting Torim Harbor. Because of this, a lot of the continent was divided into two territories, one for each city. Of course, there was a lot of neutral land to allow travelers safe passage. Otherwise, being within a city's territory means you were subjected to that city's laws.

And being the crime-filled city it was, Felgana's laws were not very friendly to outsiders, especially for some of the girls in this group.

Yet as badly as she wanted to get into neutral territory, Kotori couldn't bring herself to force Honoka and the others to continue onward if it was too much for them.

A tap on the shoulder broke Kotori out of her train of thoughts. She turned to find that it was Nico.

"You know where we are, right?" she asked.

Kotori nodded. "That's what's bothering me a little."

"Yeah, it worries me a little, too. I'm going to… Hey, who's that?"

Kotori turned around, quickly spotting what Nico was looking at. It was a girl with lavender hair and eyes walking toward them. She wore a black dress with a piano design on the bottom that fell just above her knees, a red ribbon tied around her waist, a black cap with a crescent moon and another red ribbon, and black shoes. She was also carrying a black parasol, which she had opened and was using it to provide her with shade. She waved at the two as she got closer, a bright smile across her face. As she stopped in front of them, she was about as tall as Nico.

"Good afternoon," the girl greeted cheerfully. "Do you have a moment? I'd like to ask something."

"Sure," Kotori responded. "What is it?"

"I'm looking for my younger sister. She is dressed almost like me, but has green hair. Have either of you seen her?"

"No, I can't say that I have." Kotori turned to Nico. "How about you?"

Nico shook her head. "Sorry, I haven't seen anyone like that either."

"Oh, I see…" She looked to the sky for a few seconds in thought before looking back to the duo. "Would it be too much to ask if you could help me look for her?"

"Well…" Nico started.

"We'll help, but just the immediate area," Kotori answered.

"Eh? But-"

"You know where we are. Would you want to be lost in a place like this?"

"Y-you have a point," Nico conceded.

"Besides…" Kotori looked over to where Honoka and Maki were sitting on the ground. "A little more rest couldn't hurt."

Just then Kotori felt something nudge her hand. She looked down, she saw Mimi beside her. Mimi touched Kotori's hand with her nose once more before looking over to Nozomi. She looked back to the new girl.

"Well, let me just ask and see if anyone else wants to help."

"Okay, and thank you so much," the girl replied, smiling again.

Kotori walked away from Nico and the girl. Though, before walking to the others, she first went up to Nozomi.

"You called?"

Nozomi nodded, though she didn't face Kotori. "Do you mind moving a bit closer?"

"Umm, alright…"

Kotori did as Nozomi asked, taking another step closer. Once she was right next to her, Nozomi glanced sideways at her.

"We should be weary of that girl," she said.

Kotori raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"Mimi's been giving me warnings ever since she appeared. I'm not quite sure why yet, but there's something about her that Mimi doesn't like."

"Really…"

Kotori glanced down at the wolf sitting on the other side of Nozomi. Mimi looked up to her, seemed to nod her head twice, then rested her head back on her paws. Kotori noted that Mimi faced behind her, toward the mysterious girl.

"Well, I offered to help her look for her sister. Should I just turn her away instead?"

Nozomi shook her head. "That would be suspicious. Just look for a little bit. I'll even come with you, just to be safe."

"Alright. Thanks."

With that settled, Kotori made her way to where Honoka and Maki were sitting on the ground. The two looked up from their conversation as she got closer.

"Hi Kotori," Honoka greeted.

"Who's that?" Maki asked, looking behind Kotori.

"She's… Actually, I didn't ask for her name. But she's looking for her sister and was asking for some help," Kotori answered.

"Really?"

Honoka was about to stand up, but Kotori put a hand on the princess's shoulder to stop her.

"Don't worry, I've got it. Just stay and rest."

"Eh… But-"

"Rest. That is the reason we stopped in the first place, isn't it?"

Honoka started pouting. "Fine…"

Kotori grinned, moving her hand from Honoka's shoulder and placing it on the princess's head and started playing with her hair, tickling her. Soon Honoka could no longer pout and started to laugh. Kotori continued her attack for a few more seconds before Honoka started to calm down.

While they had been doing that, Maria had made her way over from where the other five had been talking. Kotori quickly explained the situation to the maid, as well as the warning Nozomi had given her.

"She said that, huh?" Maria said after Kotori was done.

Kotori nodded. "Yeah, just keep on alert while we're gone."

"Of course." Maria held out her hand. A little light started glowing, and a second later a card appeared in her hand. She held it forward to Kotori. "Here, just in case."

"Thanks," Kotori said, taking the card from the maid and putting it in her pocket. "We'll try not to take too long."

The three nodded their understanding. At the same time, Kotori and Maria walked off in opposite directions. Maria went to inform the others of what's happening, while Kotori went to get Nozomi and Mimi and then rejoin Nico and the mysterious girl.

"Okay, I think we're ready," Kotori said.

The girl nodded. "Then let's go!"

Together the five of them walked toward the tree line and into the forest. Kotori and the girl walked a little in front with Nico and Nozomi a little behind. Mimi walked between Kotori and the girl, but walked closer to Kotori. Nozomi didn't say anything about it, but Kotori was getting the feeling that Mimi was doing this for protection.

_This girl must really not be trustworthy if Mimi's guarding me and not Nozomi._ Kotori thought. _I'd better be careful._

Kotori snuck a side-glance at the girl. One of the things she found odd about her at the moment was how calm she was, and even how happy she looked, despite that her sister was missing.

_She's either very confident in finding her, or there's something else going on._

They continued to walk further into the forest in silence. Every once in a while Kotori would glance over, seeing if there was anything was different about the girl. But she kept up that smile the entire time. It eventually became the only thing Kotori could focus on, no longer thinking about searching for the sister.

"Is something wrong?" she asked, catching Kotori looking at her.

"How are you so calm? Aren't you worried about your sister?"

"No," she replied with a smile, facing forward again. "I'm not worried, since I know she knows what she's doing."

Right then Mimi stopped, turning toward the girl and started growling. Kotori barely looked down at the wolf when a loud _boom_ could be heard in the distance, back the way they came. It all clicked in an instant, and Kotori had her sword out in a split second, pointed at the girl. Nico and Nozomi seemed to have figured it out as well, both of them having their weapons ready as well.

The evil laugh confirmed their suspicions.

"How careless of you three," the girl said, her parasol casting a shadow over her eyes. Those once-lavender orbs were now a dark purple, and almost seemed like they were glowing.

Kotori dashed forward, swinging her sword down. With just as much speed, the girl dodged backwards. As her foot touched the ground again, she jumped upwards while continuing her backwards motion, landing gracefully on a tree branch.

As she did, Nico fired a few rounds. The girl brought the parasol in front of her with one hand. The bullets were stopped by the magic shield she managed to produce just in time.

"Is now really the time to be wasting on little ol' me?" she said tauntingly.

She brought her parasol back to rest on her shoulder, turned around, and disappeared in one swift motion. The three were left staring at the now-empty branch for a few seconds. Nozomi reacted first, turning around and starting to run back where they came. Mimi followed her, with Kotori and Nico following a second after.

As they emerged from the forest back onto the road, the sight that greeted them wasn't very pleasant. Five of the others were laid scattered around the road. From the looks of it, each of them was badly injured. Hanayo was one of the two who looked in decent shape. She was on one knee and just casted a quick healing spell for herself.

Looking a little further is a sight that made Kotori the most nervous. Honoka held her rapier defensively, struggling to hold back her attacker. This time Kotori didn't hesitate. She dashed forward, her sword still drawn from earlier.

The attacker seemed to have noticed the moment Kotori moved. They let off a little against Honoka, cause Honoka to loose balance as she tipped forward. Then they struck her, sending the princess flying backwards.

Honoka would have hit the ground hard like the others, but she didn't land on the ground at all. When she became aware of this fact, she felt warmth around her, and looked around.

"Looks like we made it back just in time," a voice said above Honoka, causing her to look up.

"Kotori!"

Kotori smiled at Honoka before looking forward again. The fighter still standing there wore an outfit that looked very familiar. The only differences were the green hair and eyes, the lack of parasol, armguards, and a slightly taller body.

_The little sister, huh?_ Kotori thought. _And a brawler at that._

The girl in question jumped backwards as Nozomi brought down her spear, striking the now-empty space the girl stood moments before. Nico enchanted her pistols with wind and fired the speed-enhanced bullets at the brawler. They were dead-on and should have made contact, but once again the parasol girl appeared at a blinding speed, blocking Nico's attack within the split-second window she had.

"The plan has failed," the taller, green-haired girl said.

"Indeed. Time to withdraw."

"Yes, Onee-chan."

"You may have won this time," the shorter girl said to the group, "but don't get comfortable. You'll be seeing us again soon. Or maybe you won't see us." She looked back to the taller girl. "Let's go, little sister."

With a twirl and a wave of her parasol, the sisters vanished.

* * *

**Hey everyone, nobodD here!**

**So this chapter is interesting for me. It served a few goals.**

**First, mention some of the differences between the two countries the group has been to so far. This is mostly for backstory though, and you honestly don't need to pay much attention to it X3.**

**Next, introducing the sisters. Although it wasn't said during the chapter, they are actually twins. I just have this thing about twins in fictional stories, where there are so many interesting dynamics that they could use. So, I really wanted to use twins in this story. Also, the picture in my **_**Dropbox**_** for this chapter, I really liked that picture.**

**To get back on track, the twins do serve a pretty important story purpose. Of course, you'll see that a few chapters down. But for now the important thing was that they were introduced and also how they were introduced.**

**Finally, I needed a neutral-enough chapter to make an announcement to you guys. And in case people don't really read these notes, hopefully this will at least get their attention for long enough.  
**

***** ******* ******* ******* ******* ******* ******* ******* ******* ******* ******* ******* ******* ******* *****  
* IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT REGARDING SIDEPAIRINGS *  
******* ******* ******* ******* ******* ******* ******* ******* ******* ******* ******* ******* ******* ******* *****  
**

**So like I said last chapter, between then and this chapter was the nomination period for the side-pairings. Basically as long as it was reviewed or PM to me, even just once, it was nominated.**

**Now for the next part: Voting. By the time this chapter is posted, I will have a poll up for the side-pairings. So, how will this work?**

**First off, you will be given FOUR votes. Pick whichever combination of four you would like. It doesn't even have to be for each side pairing. What I mean is you can vote for two or three different pairings for one character (As an example, you can vote for MariaxRin and MariaxMaki, if you wanted). It's completely up to you. I can't see who votes for what option, and poll results will be hidden until it's closed. So your opinions are completely safe. **

**The way the pairings will be decided will be based on the ONE pairing with the highest amount of votes. Once that first pairing is decided, I will look for the pairing with the next highest amount of votes that DOESN'T include either of those characters. (So let's say RinxMaki was the highest. The next pairing will be the highest vote that does NOT include either Rin or Maki.) This goes until all four side pairings are decided**

**Oh yeah, a lot of people wanted four side-pairings, so there will be four. I don't think I mentioned that until now X3**

**Back to serious mode.**

**Now, if you reviewed or PM'd me within this time frame about the pairings, I have read your thoughts/suggestions/concerns, and I understand your points. But remember, ultimately the poll will decide how the pairings end up. So remember to vote!**

**Lastly, the voting period. I don't really have a set timeframe. I want to try and get you all one more neutral chapter (neutral meaning no real relationship-building interactions between the other eight characters). So I think I'll leave the poll up until chapter 17 is ready to be posted. Once chapter 17 is posted, I will close the polls. I don't actually expect to need that much time, but you never know.**

**So, I know this chapter kind of just happened. There will be explanations in the next chapter, as it's going to be a lot of dialogue (at least, what I have planned this moment. Of course it's subject to change). Mostly it'll explain what happened to everyone while Kotori and the others were in the forest. Also, it's looking likely to be a shorter chapter than normal, because there isn't much I can do past that without having side-pairings in place, unless I manage to think of something. Just some warnings.**

**Okay, I'm done rambling. Hope to see you next time~**


	17. Revelation

**** Regarding the poll: For anyone who doesn't know where to find polls on FanFiction, go to the author's profile and it's at the very top.**

***Disclaimer: I do NOT own Love Live!**

* * *

"It looks like they're really gone…"

"I… I think so."

Now that they weren't under threat, Kotori glanced around at the others. It seems like everyone wasn't as badly hurt as she thought when she first got back. Still, their injuries did need some attention.

"I'll get started on healing everyone," Hanayo said, thinking the same thing.

"Alright, but try to be quick about it. We need to get out of this area as soon as possible."

Hanayo nodded then went off to the closest person to heal them, which was Maria. Kotori continued to glance around.

"So, what exactly happened here?"

"That girl just appeared out of nowhere. She attacked so suddenly and caught us all off guard," Honoka explained.

"How did she manage that?"

"No one saw her until after her first attack. She was faster than anything I've ever seen before."

"I see… Then we really do need to hurry and get out of here."

"Yeah…"

Kotori glanced down. "So, think you'll be able to stand on your own again?"

"Y-yeah, I think so."

Kotori lowered Honoka so she could place her feet on the ground to stand up. Once on her feet again, the princess went over to her maid, who had just finished being healed by Hanayo. As Honoka left, Nozomi approached Kotori.

"We may have some trouble ahead of us," she said.

"What kind of trouble?"

Nozomi held something out. "Do you recognize this?"

Kotori looked at what was in Nozomi's outstretched hand, which appeared to be a piece of paper. It was folded so that only one thing could be seen, which was a largely printed emblem of two wings crossed within a shield. Kotori's eyes went wide.

"So I take it by that reaction that you do know this emblem?"

"More importantly, do you know this emblem?" Kotori asked.

Nozomi nodded. "This is the emblem of the one who contracted me. It's-"

"The Minami family emblem… _My_ family emblem…"

"Your… Wait, you're the Minami daughter that's been missing?"

"If that's how she's covering it up… Tell me, was it a woman that approached you? Similar hair but red eyes?"

Nozomi took a moment to study Kotori. "Yes. Now that you mention it, the resemblance is unmistakable… How did I miss that?"

"If I had to guess, a certain princess was more than enough distraction," Kotori said, looking at Honoka.

"You may be right." She turned to look for a few seconds, then turned back to Kotori. "Well, what are you going to do now?"

"Well, now that I know my mother is after Honoka, I have to be even more careful."

"Oh? You're not going to help your mother and bring Honoka to her?"

Kotori shook her head. "I'm not like my family, not like my mother. I'm not evil." She looked over at Honoka again. "Plus, I promised that I'd keep her safe during this trip."

"A promise, huh?" But Nozomi noticed something in that look. "Are you sure it's _just_ a promise?"

Kotori didn't answer right away. "… I don't really know myself…"

"Well either way, one of the sisters dropped this paper when they disappeared. It's a mercenary contract."

"Which means my mother hired them both to go after Honoka. That would explain what just happened."

Nozomi nodded. "So what's the plan?"

"Well, it's too dangerous to go to Dahngrest now that we know all this."

"I agree, but what are we going to do then?"

"I'm not sure yet, but for now-"

"How about you two share your conversation with the rest of us?"

They both looked to see a certain maid standing right next to them. Kotori nearly jumped in surprise.

"Jeeze Maria, don't do that," Kotori said, hand on her chest as she tried to calm down.

The maid smiled. "Sorry, couldn't help myself. So what's all this talk about Dahngrest now?"

"Change of plans, we can't go to Dahngrest. At least not right now."

"Eh? Why not?"

"It wasn't random that those two attacked us earlier," Nozomi said. "They're mercenaries."

"Yeah, and they're after Honoka," Kotori added.

"How do you know all this?"

Nozomi held up the paper with the emblem. Maria studied it for a few seconds before she fully recognized it. She glared at Kotori.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to betray Honoka or any of you," Kotori said as reassuringly as she could. "I never really agreed with my mother anyway."

Maria didn't say anything. She took another step so that she was right in front of Kotori. The maid stared into her eyes, and Kotori met her gaze.

"Well, it seems like I can trust you," Maria said, stepping back again.

"Looks like everyone is taken care of as well," Nozomi said, looking over as Hanayo finished healing the others.

"Looks like it. "Kotori sighed. "I'm going to have to explain everything again, aren't I?"

"I can explain it this time if you'd like."

"Thanks, Nozomi."

"Well we should tell them now then," Maria suggested. "We have to get out of here quickly, right?"

Kotori nodded. "Right."

With things decided between the three of them, they made their way over to the others.

* * *

**Hey everyone, nobodD here!**

**I know this took longer to update than it should've, and I know this is a very short chapter. And I'm VERY sorry for all this (cries).**

**I was really busy with school and work last week, and then over the weekend I had gotten sick. It was pretty bad the last few days and just yesterday I was feeling okay enough to even work on my laptop for longer than an hour at a time.**

**Although this is a very short chapter, it does everything I need it to. Story-wise, it reveals the most important background details so far. Outside of that, it lets me mention a few things to you all. First are about the poll. Like mentioned at the start, if you don't know where to find the poll, it's on my fanfiction profile at the top. Also, like I said last chapter, the poll will remain open for those that haven't voted until the next chapter is posted.**

**Again, sorry that you all had to wait so long for such a short chapter. I'll try to work harder to make sure it doesn't happen again.**

**Hopefully I'll still see you next chapter~**


	18. Interruption

***Disclaimer: I do NOT own Love Live!**

* * *

"Are you sure we can't still go?"

"For the tenth time, it's too dangerous to go there right now."

"I know… but-"

"If you weren't nearly taken once already, I'd feel a little more confident in protecting you. You can understand that, right?"

Honoka let out a long sigh. "I guess so…"

Kotori glanced to the side, almost immediately regretting doing so. The sad face Honoka was making got to Kotori right away.

"We'll just hide for a few days to throw anyone following us off our trail, then we'll go back, okay?"

"I guess that's fine."

Kotori glanced over again to see Honoka smiling back at her. As nice as it was, she knew it would go away again at her next suggestion

"We're going to have to look into getting you a disguise again."

The two continued to walk as Honoka began complaining again. Following behind them was Maria and Nozomi. They were leading the rest of the group, as Nozomi was explaining the current situation to the others.

"So, Kotori and Honoka's families are actually enemies," Nico repeated.

"I wouldn't say _enemies_," Maria said. "It's a lot more complicated than that."

"Either way, it means that Kotori and Honoka shouldn't even be near each other," Maki said. "Yet right now they're talking like they've grown up together."

"Well, it's no surprise that the Princess can be friendly with anyone she meets," Eli said.

"That's true," Hanayo agreed.

"Though that doesn't change that Kotori's mother is after Honoka now," Rin pointed out.

"What's the reason again? What's so special about her, besides that she's a princess?" Umi asked.

"I'm not quite sure," Nozomi answered. "Kotori's mother never gave me a real reason. She only said that there was something special about Honoka that she needed for some revenge."

"Revenge huh…" Maria repeated.

"Do you know what that means Maria?" Eli asked.

"Well… I suppose since you're all involved at this point, it's only fair to tell you." She looked at the two Cygnus Knights. "Though, I'm surprised the King hasn't told either of you about it."

"He said knowing his daughter's secret would only make things harder for us," Rin said.

"That's fair to think." Maria faced forward again as she began. "The King, as well as Kotori's mother, are considered the strongest magic users in the world. Well, that used to be true for a while. But people aren't aware that a person exists with more magic potential than the two of them combined."

"And, that person is Honoka?" Nozomi guessed.

Maria nodded. "The King and Queen knew ever since her birth that Honoka-sama had an extraordinary magic gift. As happy as that made them, they were also very worried for her. She is a princess after all. Along with all the pressure and responsibilities that comes with that, knowing about her gift would only put her in extra danger. So her parents decided to keep her gift a secret from both her and the rest of the world."

"So, how did Kotori's mother find out?" Rin asked.

"Well, it's not like she became any less powerful when Honoka was born," Maki pointed out. "If the King could feel Honoka's magic, Kotori's mother probably could as well."

"That's right," Maria answered.

Their conversation continued. While they were speaking that loudly, they didn't know that the duo in front of them had run out of things to talk about, and were just walking quietly. Kotori had been listening for a little while now. Honoka's voice caught her attention again.

"Isn't my powers why you came after me as well?" she asked quietly.

"So you know about your powers?" was Kotori's response.

"It was an accident that I found out, but yes."

"I see. Well, yes it's true. My mother sent me to capture you because of your powers."

"Do you not like your mother?"

Kotori looked curiously at the princess. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, since we first met in the dungeon, you've never tried to harm me in anyway. You've had all this time to do something to me, but instead you've held to your promise to protect me. Plus, you never sound happy when talking about your mother."

"Heh, you got me there. Well, it's not that I don't like her, but I don't agree her ways a lot of the time."

"Her ways? What do you mean by that?"

"Stealing, lying, even killing to set an example, she did anything to get what she wanted. I didn't really like any of it growing up, and it angered her. She tried a lot of different things to try and change me, none of which worked out in the end. Finally, she decided to send me on a mission to capture you with my brother."

"Eh, you have a brother?"

"Yes, I do. I guess I never got around to mentioning it. My brother was the opposite of me, he followed in my mother's footsteps, trying to be like her. My mother thought that sending me on this mission with him would change me. She was almost right, too. During the trip we started to connect as siblings, and I started to get used to using those harsh methods. My brother also taught me how to fight with a sword."

"It's nice that you got to become closer with your brother."

"I thought so too. Had I not met you the way we met, I might actually have captured you and taken you home like my mother wanted."

"That's… an interesting thought. But is that what you would have wanted."

Kotori shook her head. "Honestly, I'm glad things happened the way they did. Sure, it might have been nice to do what my mother wanted me to do for once. But in the end, I wouldn't give away what's happened throughout this adventure. I've come to like our crazy little group. I'm glad to have met everyone. And I'm glad to have met you"

"Kotori…" Honoka smiled a smile only Kotori could see. "I've come to like our group as well. And I'm glad to have met you, too."

* * *

Soon day turned to night, and the group decided to stop and set up camp. Maria and Hanayo got started on making dinner while the others cleared an area and set up the tents.

"Luckily there were all those supplies from the convoy remains," Rin said.

"Yeah, since ours got destroyed in the attack," Maki said. "And luckily there was everything we needed."

"But the most important part," Kotori said as she finished securing the last tent, "We got better food."

She was only joking, but as the scent of Maria and Hanayo's cooking filled the air, the others couldn't help but agree with Kotori. The ingredients they had first bought at Hamil weren't as good as they had first thought. Though, it was commendable that Maria and Hanayo were still able to use them. Still, the thought of eating with better quality ingredients was a welcome thought to all.

"Speaking of food, dinner's ready!" Hanayo announced.

The others didn't waste any time, and gathered around the table with food laid out. Maria finished laying out the last of the food while Hanayo gave everyone some plates. After getting their food, they sat around the campfire.

"So, what are we going to do?" Nozomi asked as they ate.

"We should be safe in this area for a few days," Kotori said. "Let's hope it'll be safe enough to go to Dahngrest in that time."

"Wait, we're still going to Dahngrest? Even knowing all the dangers?" Rin asked.

"I… I still want to go," Honoka said. "Please?"

"W-well…" Rin looked around for help. But they all had the same thought, they couldn't say no to the princess.

"Like I said," Kotori continued. "Hiding for a few days is the best we can hope for. And even still, we'll need some kind of plan for when we do reach Dahngrest."

"Well Kotori's mother is only after Honoka," Umi pointed out. "Why not disguise her?"

"I don't think a disguise will be enough," Nozomi said. "After all, there are many ways to track down a target other than just visual."

"Maybe there's a spell that could help?" Hanayo suggested.

"Spells like that have a lot of conditions that need to be met to work," Maki said. "Even then they require a lot of magic."

"It's not like Honoka has an issue with magic levels though," Nico said.

"What do you think Honoka-sama?" Maria asked.

"Well… I'm not really sure right now," Honoka answered.

"It's okay, it's not like we need an answer by tonight," Kotori said. "We'll be in this area for a few days, so give it some thought. We don't want to force you to do something you don't want to do."

Everyone nodded their agreement to Kotori's statement.

"Thank you. I'll give it a lot of thought." Just then Honoka started to yawn.

"Heh, it has been a very busy day, hasn't it?"

"Shall we retire for the night?" Maria asked, to which Honoka could only nod as a reply.

"It's been hard on everyone," Eli said. "I think we could all use some rest."

Everyone agreed to the idea of sleep. As everyone cleaned and gathered the plates, Kotori felt a tug on her arm. She turned to see the somewhat sleepy princess.

"Can I talk to you privately before bed?" she asked, very quietly.

"Sure, just let me finish putting this away and I'll join you in the tent."

Honoka nodded before turning and walking to the tent that they would be sharing along with Maria and Maki. Kotori watched until Honoka disappeared into the tent, then went back to packing away some supplies. A few seconds later, Maria had wandered over to her. Before Kotori could ask, Maria took the supplies from her.

"You know you really shouldn't keep her waiting," the maid said.

"Who, Honoka?"

Maria nodded. "I'll take over from here. Now go!"

"Alright, since you're so insistent."

Kotori turned to start walking.

"I expect good news when I walk in later."

Kotori turned back to Maria. "What was that?"

"Go!"

Just as Kotori was going to turn back around to the tent, Mimi started growling. In the next second, a loud shriek started to sound. It was impossible to tell because of the darkness where it was coming from, but Kotori could hear it. She looked around, seeing as the others all covered their ears, some unable to stand because of the noise and sat on their knees.

But Kotori didn't react. Whatever was happening, it wasn't affecting her. The shriek even sounded familiar to Kotori, but she couldn't figure out why. However, just that was enough to tell Kotori something terrible just happened. She turned and ran into the tent.

And Honoka was no longer there.

* * *

**Hey everyone, nobodD here!**

**So interesting chapter here. A little bit of important backstory for Kotori and her family. Also, cliché bonding moment between them because… I couldn't help it X3 And then… Then… Okay I feel really bad about that ending, mostly because that was actually part of the overall story that's been planned from the beginning.**

**How about some fun news? The poll is finished and the side pairs have been decided! And here they are.**

**1.) Nozomi x Nico**

**2.) Eli x Rin**

**3.) Umi x Hanayo**

**4.) Maria x Maki**

**And now that the poll is closed, and since you're able to see the results now, it's time to explain a few things. So the first two were simple. NozoNico got the most votes, EliRin got the second most, and they weren't tied with anything so they were chosen. The next spot was tied between four choices. However, two of them included chars that already had pairs, so they don't count. Between the other two, MakiPana and UmiPana, what I did was interesting. So, between both choices, if MakiPana was chosen, the last pair would be Umi x Maria. Except, that pair was never nominated. So, I looked at UmiPana, and the only other pair with that would be Maria x Maki, which was nominated and conveniently in the next spot down. So that's how the last two were chosen.**

**That being said, the sidepairings won't really start to develop for a couple chapters. But now that they are set, I may or may not put little scenes for them for the next few chapters. Obviously I'm doing this for a reason, and you'll see why when the time is right.**

**So, what in the world just happened at the end there? And now where's Honoka?**

**Hope you stick around to find out~ **


	19. Arrival

***Disclaimer: I do NOT own Love Live!**

* * *

The calm and quiet of the night lasted into the morning. A slight breeze blew through the trees. It was all the makings of a pleasant morning. But for a certain group of nine, this morning was anything _but_ pleasant.

Eight of the nine were gathered outside. Their overall mood was depressing, like they didn't want to do anything. But there was something they needed to talk about, and it might as well be now.

"So, exactly what happened last night?" Eli asked.

"You mean that loud noise?" Umi shook her head. "That was the first time I've ever heard such a terrible sound."

"Well… considering what happened afterwards, it was probably just a distraction," Rin suggested. "Which unfortunately worked."

"Those twins again?" Hanayo asked.

"No… It wasn't the twins this time."

The others looked at Kotori. She was holding a piece of paper, and hadn't taken her eyes off it at all since they started talking.

"Isn't that the mercenary contract that those sisters dropped?" Nozomi asked.

"Yeah… And that's the problem."

"What do you mean by that?" Maki asked.

Kotori tapped her family emblem at the top of the paper. As she did, the emblem started glowing.

"There's a tracking spell embedded within the emblem," Kotori explained.

"No way, are you serious?" Nozomi asked.

"My mom's a control freak. She does this to every contract, probably even yours. And the only people that know are my family."

"So then your mother was the one who took Honoka?" Rin asked.

Kotori shook her head. "No, it wasn't her. It was my brother, Richter."

"Your brother?" Maki asked. "How do you know?"

"That ear-splitting sound you heard last night."

"That terrible sound was your brother?" Umi asked.

"Kind of. My brother was never really good with magic. That sound is the result of a spell going wrong. Eventually he found out that he could use it for his own good. When we were traveling to Zenethra, he made me hear it often so that I could get used to it and it wouldn't affect me when he used it." Kotori shook her head. "I can't believe I couldn't figure this all out sooner."

"You can't blame yourself for this," Eli said easily. "We were all careless and left Honoka alone in the first place."

"Speaking of…" Maki lowered her voice, looking at the tent. "How is _she_ doing?"

No one needed to ask who Maki was talking about. By now everyone knew just how close Honoka and Maria were. And they could all guess just how the maid must be feeling with her master being taken from her, right from under her guard.

"I think she still needs some time to herself," Kotori answered. "She didn't even want to get up this morning."

"I feel bad for her," Rin said. "She's never failed Honoka-sama before. It must be hard for her to take all this in."

"What about you?" Hanayo asked. "Weren't you assigned to guard Honoka too?"

"Well, I am upset that I wasn't able to do anything at the time. But that moment's past and there's no use dwelling on it. Might as well look forward to fixing my mistake."

"Well said," came a new voice.

"Maria…"

They all turned to see the maid standing at the entrance to her tent. It was evident from her eyes and the dry marks on her face that she had been crying. But Kotori saw a look completely different to the one she woke up to that morning. Determination was practically emanating from Maria.

"Feeling better?" Maki asked.

Maria nodded. "I just needed to gather my thoughts. But it's as Rin says, it's a waste of time to just sit around being upset."

"Well, now that we're all up, shall we get going?" Kotori asked.

She was met with eight nods. They packed away their tents and set off for Dahngrest.

* * *

Honoka had woken up moments ago, and was already having some problems.

For one, she had no idea where she was. The room she was in was dark, with the only source of light being a few candles nearby her. If waking up in an unfamiliar place wasn't bad enough, she found herself laid spread out on her back and was restrained.

But what made the situation the worst for Honoka, was that she wasn't with her friends and she had no idea where they were. She didn't know if they were far or nearby, or even if they knew she was missing. Just being away from them was upsetting for Honoka. Especially not being around-

"Ah, so you're awake."

Honoka couldn't see where the voice was coming from. But she heard a door open and close, followed by footsteps. After a few moments the figure was standing by her, barely illuminated by the candlelight. But Honoka saw enough, maybe even more than she wanted to. That long ash-blond hair tied in a sidetail, that dark outfit, and those red eyes were enough to tell Honoka what kind of person this woman was.

"Who are you?" Honoka demanded. "And why am I being held here?"

But her questions were met with a finger pressing against her lips.

"Hush, child. You're going to be staying a while, so what's the rush?"

"I don't plan on staying. My friends are-"

"Your friends? Oh I don't think they'll be here in time. Preparations for your _ceremony_ are almost complete."

"C-ceremony?"

The woman smiled a wicked grin. "That's it my dear, let me feel that fear. It'll make it all the more satisfying as I steal every drop of magic from you."

"You can't take my magic," Honoka said defiantly.

"Silly girl. I am Minami Asriel, the strongest dark mage who ever lived. Not only can I steal even your magic, I will become immortal with it. And then, I'm going after your father."

Seeing the fear register in Honoka's eyes, Asriel stood up, satisfied. As she walked to the door, her laugh rang throughout the small room until she was gone.

As worried as Honoka was getting for her father and her family, there was someone else on her mind. A certain family member of this evil woman.

"Kotori…"

* * *

"I didn't realize how big Mimi was as a dragon," Kotori said as they approached Dahngrest by foot.

Nozomi smiled as she pet Mimi, who took the form of a cat and was sitting on her shoulder.

"I think we were lucky she was just big enough to carry all of us."

"Can we maybe _not_ fly next time?" Nico asked, hand on her chest. While she was fine on boats, flying didn't quite agree with her.

"Heh, sorry. It was a bumpier ride than usual since Mimi isn't used to carrying so many people at once."

"Well that aside, let's hope we landed far enough away that no one noticed a dragon flying around," Eli said.

"Isn't that why Mimi's a cat right now? Just in case someone did see?" Rin asked.

"Mostly true," Nozomi answered. "Also that people have seen Mimi as a wolf around here, but not as a cat."

"But wouldn't they recognize you?" Maki asked.

"I would imagine she was wearing her armor the last time she visited, right?" Maria guessed.

Nozomi nodded. "Right, so I shouldn't be easily recognized."

"Quiet," Umi said. "We're about to enter the city."

"Stay close and follow me," Kotori instructed.

Their first impression of Dahngrest was that it seemed like any other city back on Izolle. A lot of the stories they've heard back at home gave the impression that it was some dark, evil city like you would find in a fantasy story. Yet now that they were here, they realized how wrong that impression was. Some of the buildings weren't exactly in amazing condition, but otherwise it looked like a normal city. No fights on the streets, no chaos, just people going about their business. Of course, they didn't know for sure if that business wasn't evil in any way.

Though what caught their attention the most was exactly what they were looking for. A building toward the center that was easily the biggest and tallest building in the city. That building, Kotori told them, was the Guild HQ. It was Dahngrests equivalent to a castle, both for governmental reasons and because it housed Aselia, a guild ran by Kotori's family and the strongest guild around.

"There's still a few hours of daylight left," Hanayo said, looking up at the sky.

"Let's go to the inn," Eli suggested. "We should wait until night to-"

"No, we're doing this now," Kotori said. "Come on."

The determination in Kotori's voice left no room for the others to argue, though they wouldn't have wanted to even if they could. All of were feeling the same thing. They wanted to rescue Honoka as soon as possible. Waiting until it got dark out might be the safer option, but that would take a while, and they had a feeling time wasn't exactly on their side right now. With their minds made up, they followed Kotori.

There was a street that led straight to the entrance of the Guild HQ. Of course, using the front entrance wasn't the best way to sneak into somewhere, so they didn't take that path. Instead Kotori led them a different way. The path almost seemed to go completely away from the HQ, but they trusted Kotori as this was her hometown and the HQ was her home. So they stayed quiet and followed as they walked through alleys and around buildings.

Eventually they stopped in front of a building at the outskirts of the city. It was an old looking building, but Maki immediately noticed something about it.

"There's a barrier spell guarding this building," she stated.

Kotori nodded. "This city can be unpredictable at times. My mother had a hidden passage made to escape out of if something happened to the HQ while she wasn't there. This guards the exit to that passage."

Kotori walked up to the building and placed her hand on the door. She focused some of her magic to her fingertips, and the spell on the door responded. After a few moments, the door recognized and accepted her magic, undoing the barrier spell and opening the door.

Kotori motioned for everyone to enter quickly before stepping inside. The others followed, hurrying into the building. Once all nine of them were inside, Kotori shut the door and placed her hand on it again. After a few seconds, the barrier spell was activated once again.

The others didn't need any instructions here. It was an empty room with stairs leading down. They descended the steps and began making their way through the passage.

"Not including the basement, the HQ is just made of two floors," Kotori explained. "Whatever my mother has planned for Honoka, she's probably keeping her in a special room she uses for rituals. That room is located toward the back of the building on the second floor."

"So that's our target," Eli said. "What about guards?"

"She doesn't officially keep guards, but there are almost always guild members around the place. And they're almost always in the mood for a fight."

"The guards don't matter," Maria stated. "They won't stop us."

"You should be careful," Rin warned. "You don't know what these guys are capable of."

"And they don't know what I'm capable of."

Kotori signaled them to be quiet. "We're getting in range of our voices to carry down the passage and be heard inside the HQ."

The party went the rest of the way down the passage in silence, even doing their best to keep their footsteps from echoing too much. Once they reached the end, Kotori signaled them to stop. Unlike the outside entrance, this door wasn't guarded by a barrier. So Kotori could simply open the door. She did so slowly, checking to make sure the room was clear. She opened the door wider so they could all exit the passage. As Kotori leaned against the wall by the door, she took out her sword. The others understood the signal and got their own weapons ready. Maria joined Kotori by leaning on the other side of the door.

Kotori checked to make sure everyone was ready. Once they all nodded, she placed her hand on the doorknob, twisted, and threw the door open.

* * *

**Hey everyone, nobodD here!**

**Not much interesting this chapter, just putting some of the last pieces together before the next chapter. Like I mentioned before, this part of the story I've actually had thought out since the beginning. Some big things await next chapter, and I honestly can't wait X3**

**By the way, in my dropbox for this chapter, there's a picture of where I got Kotori's Mother's look. If you want to see, you can see it there. **

**As always, let me know what you think of the story so far. And also ask any questions you may have. If you want a quick reply, PM me. Otherwise, I usually answer questions in reviews at the top of the following chapter.**

**So, how's this all going down? Hope you stick around to find out~**


	20. Conversion

**This is unrelated to this story, but 3.15 is Umi's birthday, which is the day this chapter is being posted. Because I won't have enough time to write for the next few days, I'll say it here. Happy Birthday Umi (heart)**

***Warning: Long chapter ahead. Also very cheesy/cliché. Enjoy~**

***Disclaimer: I do NOT own Love Live!**

* * *

A few people were in the hallway as the door flew open and swung into the wall. As they turned at the loud sound the door made, a trio of cards flew into their view. Not knowing any better, they kept looking as all three cards activated, flashing a blinding light with a _bang_. Blinded and disoriented, they were unaware of the three intruders that ran into the room.

There were two guild members close to the door but because of the cards, neither saw as the ash-blond charged for them. Kotori easily struck down the one to her left, then swung her sword around to take down the other on her right.

Maria and Maki immediately followed Kotori into the hallway. There were four more guild members, two on either end of the hall. Maria and Maki took positions back to back, Maria facing right and Maki facing left.

With a flick of her finger, Maria unfastened her pistol from its holster. In a moment she took aim and fired, every shot finding its target and downing them. Similarly, Maki opened one of her fans with a flick of her wrist and held it pointing at her two targets. Blue mist flew forward, and as it reached her targets, it froze them to the wall, completely encasing them in ice.

With the guild members taken care of, the other six came into the hallway.

"The Ritual Room should be above us," Kotori said. "The only way to the second floor is the stairs by the entrance. Clear out the rooms as you go."

The others nodded. Though, as they were about to go, dark circles appeared on the floor around them, and shadow creatures popped out from them. The creatures looked somewhat like ghosts, having no lower body but resembling a mutated human for the upper body, as well as having claws instead of hands. Nico and Umi were quick to respond, Nico firing her pistols and Umi using her bow. Each shadow creature took one hit and then evaporated into a black mist before disappearing.

"Looks like mother knows we're here…"

"Summoning creatures takes quite a bit of magic," Maki said.

"Which means we need to hurry," Maria said.

"Then let's go. We'll meet you outside the room," Eli said.

The nine of them split into two groups and went down opposite ends of the hallway. Kotori, Maki, Maria, and Rin went to the left while the other five went to the right.

Rin threw three capsules into the room ahead of them. They were three flash bombs, similar to Maria's spell card trick. Their blinding effects let Kotori and Rin slip into the room. Just as Kotori was expecting, there were several shadow creatures already summoned within the room.

Kotori's sword started glowing black and purple. She swung it, releasing dark waves that crashed into some of the shadow creatures. She moved to the right side of the room, cutting down three of the creatures while they were still disoriented.

As she finished off the third shadow, a fourth one had recovered from the flash bomb and moved to attack Kotori. Kotori managed to bring her sword up in time to catch one of the shadow's claws. Another shadow behind the one Kotori was guarding against charged for her. But as soon as it started charging, there were three loud sounds followed by the two shadows bursting into black smoke.

"Thanks Maria," she said, turning to the maid responsible.

"Of course," the maid replied with a smirk. "Now look alive."

Maria quickly took aim and dispatched another shadow that thought it could reach Kotori. Kotori didn't need another invitation, and got to work taking down more shadows.

On the other side of the room, Rin was using her incredible speed to move between the shadows. She would occasionally stab one with her knife, but she kept on the move. She reached the other end of the room and turned around. All the shadows were turned toward her, which was exactly what she wanted. She waited for the right moment before leaping into the air. Just as she did and the shadows looked up to keep track of her, they were met with a barrage of ice spears to their backs. The magic ice crashed into the wall Rin was just standing in front of, and the crowd of shadows popped into black mist and disappeared.

"These things aren't much of a challenge," Maki said as she relaxed her stance.

"They're not supposed to be," Kotori said. "They're just supposed to slow us down."

"Then your mom is probably making her move already, whatever it is," Rin realized.

"We need to hurry," Maria said. The others only nodded as the four ran to the next room.

Unfortunately for them, it wouldn't remain easy for them to blast their way through. It turned into a gauntlet, with the shadows in each successive room getting stronger and stronger. They continued fighting in pairs, but they had to do more work just to clear a side of the room.

Eventually they made it to the hallway with the staircase on their side of the HQ. Thankfully for them, there were no shadows awaiting them. Still, they didn't stop, and pushed onward up the stairs.

Maria led the way, firing her pistol a couple times at a shadow with its back turned to the stairs. It was the easiest kill she had for the last few rooms, but she had no time to think about that. As she reached the last two steps, she made a small jump and kicked off wall to her right. She landed on the railing at the top of the stairs, a spell card in her left hand between her fingers and already activating. A magic circle appeared in front of her, and right away she shot a few bullets through it. As a single bullet passed through the circle, the spell card multiplied it into five, causing a barrage of bullets to greet most of the shadows by the stairs.

Only two shadows managed to survive Maria's attack. As they moved forward for the maid, Rin threw a couple of knives between the railings, most of them finding their mark and piercing the shadows. The shadows were aware of the knives, and turned to Rin. That distraction was enough time for Maria to take aim again with her pistol and gun the shadows down. The maid jumped off the railing as the other three reached the top of the stairs and they ran across to the next room.

There wasn't a group of shadows waiting for them this time, only two. However these shadows were different from the others they've fought up until this point. They were a lot bigger, and resembled heavily armored knights. They also had normal hands instead of claws, and were wielding giant battle axes.

"Oh great… Neither of us are well-equipped to handle combat against axes," Rin said.

"Either way we're going to have to try," Kotori said, holding her sword up.

"I might have a spell to handle them, but it will take some time," Maki said.

"Got it, so all we have to do is buy time."

"That much I should be able to do," Rin said, putting her daggers away and adjusting her gloves.

Once she was ready, Rin ran forward directly at the two shadows. As one moved to fight her, Rin just seemingly disappeared. Then she suddenly reappeared to the side of the first shadow. The second shadow noticed and moved to get her, but she was gone once again.

This pattern of Rin appearing for a second before disappearing again continued a little while. Eventually she reappeared next to Kotori, and didn't immediately disappear again. Rin held up her hands and turned them into fists, as if she were holding something. Kotori looked a little closer, and recognized the faint glimmer of a familiar wire. Rin pulled back with both her hands, and revealed her work. The web of tripwires became visible around the two shadows, wrapping around them and holding them in place.

"You know, when you're not the one caught in them, it's almost like art," Kotori commented.

Rin smirked. "We can re-live that moment if you'd like."

"I'll pass, thanks."

"Hey, stand clear you two," Maki said behind them.

They both moved aside to give Maki a clear shot. Finishing the incantation, Maki cast her spell. The ball of fire in front of her turned into a fire dragon and flew forward. Held in place, the shadows could only sit there and be consumed by the fire. As the shadows disappeared and the fire dragon cleared out, Maria tossed another card forward. It flashed blue before activating, splashing water in all directions and immediately extinguishing the flames left by Maki's spell. With the room cleared, they moved onto the next hallway.

Luckily for them, the knight-like shadows weren't waiting for them in the hallway. Still, they were stronger shadows than the last ones they faced, and more of them too, so they were still careful. As they reached the next room, they were greeted by a much unappreciated sight.

"Four of those axe-wielding things…" Rin couldn't help but sigh.

"The door to the ritual room is at the end of the next room," Kotori informed them.

"So we don't have any other choice," Maria concluded.

"Let's just get this over with," Maki said.

"Do we even have enough power to take them down?" Rin asked.

"I'll make something work," Maki replied.

"I might have an idea," Maria said. "Just hold them back for a little while."

"Try to make it quick," Kotori said. "I don't think the two of us can hold them back for too long."

Kotori and Rin dashed forward. As they did, Maria turned to Maki.

"I need you to feed me some magic," the maid said.

"Come again?"

Maria pulled out a spell card. "That fire spell you used on the other axe-shadows. Channel the same amount of magic into this card."

"A-alright…"

It was a strange request, but Maki did as Maria asked and started focusing her magic into the spell card. The card started glowing in response to the magic. It was faint at first, but the glowing became stronger as it was filled with more of Maki's magic. And as she continued to transfer magic, Maki started to feel a little light-headed.

Magic was part of a mage's life force, and once it goes under a certain point, it starts to physically affect the mage. It's a very generous threshold, needing your magic to be nearly all gone before it starts to be bad for the body. Luckily Maki was only at the point where she would feel very weak effects, like the light-headedness.

They continued for as long as they could. But as Kotori retreated to their position holding Rin up, Maria knew they were out of time.

"Let's hope this is enough," the maid said.

As Maki finished transferring magic into the spell card, Maria tossed it forward. It traveled a short distance before exploding into a blue spell circle in front of her. Maria aimed her pistol, hoped for the best, and shot at the spell circle.

The maid's intuition paid off. The spell circle made a violent reaction as the first bullet reached it. As the bullet passed through, it was no longer a bullet but hundreds of ice shards. The same happened to each bullet Maria shot, creating so many shards that the shadows had no way of avoiding them all.

The first wave of ice shards crashed into the shadows. They shattered as they did, not seeming to do much. But with each wave, the shards cracked the shadows' armor bit by bit. Eventually the armor broke off, and the rest of the ice shards pierced the shadows' bodies. They emitted a loud noise, almost like a scream, before falling to the floor and finally disappearing into black mist.

"W-wow…" Rin stuttered. "That was… amazing."

"How did you know that would happen?" Maki asked.

"I didn't," Maria replied simply. "I just kind of hoped it would work."

"You… what?"

"There's not time for this, we have to keep going," Kotori interrupted.

Kotori ran first, followed by Rin. Maria flashed a smile at Maki before taking the young mage's hand and pulling her along to follow the other two. Although a surprise greeted them and stopped them in their tracks as they entered the next room.

"It's… empty?" Rin said in disbelief.

"That can't be right…" Kotori said. She took a few steps forward.

Maria noticed something at the very edge of her vision. "Get down!"

The maid took two quick steps forward before leaping forward and tackling Kotori to the ground. Rin and Maki saw as they just barely avoided a pair of blades that flew over their heads.

"What was-" Rin started in surprise.

Maki interrupted her, doing what Maria did and tackling Rin to the ground in time for another pair of blades to fly over their heads, just missing them. Kotori and Maria looked up in time to watch as the four blades flew high into the air and back the way they came. Kotori recognized the blades, as well as the person they returned to.

"Onii-sama."

"It's been a little while, hasn't it Kotori?" Richter said. "Seems like you've changed a lot in such a short time."

"Save it. We have more important things to be doing than wasting time on you."

"That's where you're wrong my. You see, I can't let your betrayal to our family go unpunished, nor will I let you stop mother's plans." His four swords hovered around him. "If you want to reach the ritual room, you're going to have to get through me."

"Sorry, but I have an important promise to keep. Nothing's going to stop me." Kotori readied her sword. "Not even you, Onii-sama."

"And here I was thinking there was hope for you when we were heading to Zenethra. It's a shame to have to kill you after you finally started to progress."

"That's not going to happen," Maria said, rising to her feet, her pistol aimed at Richter and a spell card ready between her fingers.

"If you want to kill Kotori, you're going to have to deal with us as well," Rin said, a dagger in each hand.

"That's right." Maki joined them, fans ready in each hand.

Richter smirked. "Let's see whose resolve is stronger."

He struck first, sending two of his swords at them again. Kotori filled her blade with magic, and swung it to send a dark wave flying out. It hit the two swords, knocking them both off their paths.

Rin took the opening to dash forward. She disappeared after a couple of steps, appearing again by Richter. But he was ready, and moved one of his swords to block both of Rin's daggers. Seeing her attack blocked, Rin jumped away and disappeared, reappearing next to the others.

Maria and Maki attacked next, Maria with her pistol and Maki with a quick fire spell. Richter held up his hand and a dark magic shield blocked their attacks. As the flames from Maki's spell disappeared into the air, Kotori flew through. Her sword met one of Richter's with a violent clash. Seeing that neither of them could gain the advantage over the other, the siblings jumped away from each other.

The fight continued like this. The four of them attacked in different patterns, either together or separately. Richter defended against each of them almost perfectly. Occasionally he would try an attack himself, but otherwise maintained his incredible defense.

Then Kotori noticed something interesting.

Rin tossed a lot of her flash bombs. Richter was blocking a spell from Maki, and didn't quite react in time. As the flash bombs went off, the four swords floating around Richter started to fall. He managed to shake off the disorienting effects quickly, and the swords returned to floating.

"So that's what's going on…"

"What do you mean?" Maki asked.

"Rin, Maki, can you two keep Richter busy?"

"Eh? I guess, but why?" Rin asked.

"Just trust me, I have a plan."

"Okay... If you say so."

The two turned their attention back to Kotori's brother. While they started their attack again, Kotori turned to Maria.

"Do you have another of those blank spell cards?"

Maria nodded. "I have one blank card that's ready, why?"

"I know a spell that might help us, but I can't be the one to use it."

"Why not?"

"My brother's defense is almost impossible to get through. But he can only keep it up as long as he's completely focused."

"Well, that makes sense. But why can't you be the one to use the spell?"

"Because I'm going to be the one that distracts him, so I need you to use it."

Maria considered Kotori's plan for a few seconds. Then she nodded and pulled out the blank spell card.

"Well, we don't have much of a choice anyway. Let's do it."

"Thanks."

With the spell in mind, Kotori started sending magic into the card. In the background she could hear the different sounds of the battle. Metal clashing, ice shattering, flames burning. She heard them, but she ignored them and remained focus on her task.

Although it was a couple more seconds, to Kotori it felt like the process took forever. As the last of her magic necessary for the spell was sent, the card started glowing. Once the insignia for the spell drew itself on the card, the card stopped glowing. Maria took a look at the card, her eyes widening in surprise as she recognized the black insignia.

"Wait, this is..."

"That's right. You should know what to do, just wait for me to create an opening."

The maid nodded, causing Kotori to turn back around. With her sword ready again, she dashed forward for her brother.

"Rin get back!" she called.

It took half a second for Rin to register what Kotori said before the knight jumped away from Richter. She and Kotori switched positions as the ash-blond continued forward. She attempted an attack as she went past her brother, stopping on the opposite side. Richter turned to face her.

"Not bad, but you're going to have to do better than that," he taunted.

"Oh, but I already have," Kotori responded with a smile.

Richter realized too late that he had forgotten about the others. Just as he was about to turn around, he felt a hard impact against his back. He barely managed to look in time as Maria jumped away from him.

Then he screamed in pain as the spell card on his back activated.

To him it felt like his body was being ripped apart from the inside. He dropped to his knees, and as his swords stopped hovering and fell to the floor, he realized what was happening.

"A magic seal?" he asked through gritted teeth.

"That's right," Kotori answered. "You're finished without your magic."

Richter looked up at his sister. "So, you're going to kill me now?"

But Kotori shook her head. "I won't kill you. Unlike you or mother, I don't enjoy using force to control others. I've learned there are other ways to resolve things."

"That same nonsense that father kept saying. It's not surprising that he-"

But before he finished, Kotori whipped a violent kick at the side of Richter's head. He fell over to the side, unconscious.

"Don't you dare talk down about father like that."

The other three walked up to her. Rin looked at the unconscious Richter. "_Don't like using force_, huh?"

"Hey, I also said I wouldn't kill him." Kotori cracked a grin. "Besides, that was very satisfying."

Maria looked at the nearby door. "So all that leaves is…"

The others looked as well. "Do you think we're too late?" Maki asked.

"Only one way to find out," admitted Rin.

But before they could do anything else, a loud crash interrupted them. They all turned in time to see part of the wall crumble and two figures fall into the room. They quickly recognized the familiar violet and green-haired girls.

"It's those sisters from yesterday," Maki said in surprise.

Just then a familiar face walked in through the hole in the wall, her staff raised in front of her and glowing a brilliant gold.

"You all finally caught up," Kotori greeted with a smile.

"Sorry we're late," Hanayo returned, smiling back. "Had a little delay with some pesky sisters."

"Don't think you've beaten us just yet," the pink-haired girl said as she stood up. "That was only the first hit you've landed on us."

"More than you've landed on us," Nozomi returned as she and the others entered the room.

The green-haired girl stood up, looking at Kotori, Maki, Maria, and Rin. "Yui-onee-chan, it's the rest of the group."

The older sister turned to face them. "You're right Mira. This just got more interesting." She brought her parasol to her shoulder again as she looked back at Hanayo. "Shall we continue?"

"Gladly," the healer returned.

Hanayo swung her staff, spawning gold-colored orbs and sent them at Yui. Yui did the same with her parasol, black and purple orbs appearing and matching Hanayo's attack. The two attacks crashed into each other, all orbs crashing directly in the center of the two.

Mira leapt forward, not at the others but at Kotori's group. Rin jumped in front of Kotori and blocked Mira's punch. Maki whipped her fan and casted a wind spell, which barely missed as Mira jumped backwards.

"Go Kotori, we'll take care of this," Maria said, pulling out her pistol.

They both saw behind the fight in front of them as Nico's bullets, Umi's arrows, and Hanayo's holy spell all crashed harmlessly onto a magic shield from Yui's parasol.

"You're kidding, right?" Kotori asked.

"You know as well as I do that we're almost out of time. You have to go and save Honoka-sama _now_."

"If anyone should save her, it should be her loyal maid."

Maria turned to face Kotori, and Kotori saw a grin on the maid's face. "We both know who it is she would want to save her."

Kotori took one last look at the battle behind Maria as the other seven continued to fight the sisters, both sides attacking and blocking just in time. Kotori wanted to help them, but knew that Maria was right. She looked back at the maid.

"Well, if you're sure about this." It was Kotori's last offer.

"There's no one else I trust to save her than you."

Kotori couldn't help but smile. "Thanks for the pressure."

"It's called a compliment." Maria winked. "Now go."

Not needed another invitation, Kotori turned and ran into the ritual room. Maria turned back to the fight, a smile creeping onto her face.

"I should get used to saying _Kotori-sama_, shouldn't I?"

No one would've heard her because they were fighting, but she still said it quietly to herself. With her pistol and a spell card ready, she joined the battle.

* * *

In contrast to the brightly lit hallways and rooms she had ran through, the ritual room was incredibly dark. The only things that could be seen were candles arranged in a circle, and a dimly glowing circle within the candles. Lit by the circle and candles laid the figure Kotori's been after.

Without hesitation, she ran, dropping to her knees at the girl's side. She slipped her left arm under the girl's head and reached her right arm across her stomach, lifting the girl's upper body.

"Honoka? Honoka!"

The princess in her arms stirred. She could barely open her eyes as she looked up.

"Kotori… Is that… you…?" Her voice sounded strained.

Kotori let out her held breath. "Yeah, it's me."

"Thanks goodness… I was worried… I wouldn't… see you again…"

"Well, I'm here now, and we're getting you out of here."

"Sorry my child, but that's not going to happen," came a new voice.

Just then the lights flipped on, quickly brightening the rest of the room. Kotori saw her mother standing at the other end of the room.

"You're too late to stop the ceremony now," she continued. "Just a little bit longer before it's finished and that girl will be completely drained of her powers."

"You're wrong, Mother," Kotori responded. "It's not too late to stop you and your plans."

"Still as misguided as ever, I see. Where did I go wrong with you, my daughter?" She shook her head. "No matter. When the ceremony is done, I'll be able to convert you like I did your father."

"I'd rather die than be controlled by you."

"As you wish."

With a snap of her finger, a magic channel of dark energy shot forward. Kotori casted a shield, putting as much of her magic into it as she could. Just the impact of the dark beam alone knocked her back a little, and Kotori immediately felt the strain of trying to hold her shield up against it.

Within another snap, Asriel caused the beam to explode. The shockwave sent Kotori and Honoka flying back. Kotori wrapped her arms tightly around Honoka, making sure the princess wouldn't be harmed and that she herself. The impact against the wall knocked most of the wind out of Kotori. Somehow, she was sitting up against the wall.

"Damn," she breathed. "Has she really taken that much magic?"

"Kotori…" Honoka said. "I'm… I'm sorry. This is… all… my fault…"

"It's not, don't you say that."

"I got… captured. It's my… powers… they wanted… "

"It's not your fault. If anything, it's my fault. I promised to protect you, but in the end I couldn't."

"Kotori… There's still… something..."

"That you want to tell me?" Kotori finished for her.

"You… do…?"

"Yeah. Actually, there's something I need to tell you, too."

Kotori decided to answer the question before Honoka could ask it. She lowered her head to Honoka's while raising Honoka's up slightly, and pressed her lips onto the princess's. If she wasn't so weak from having most of her magic stolen, Honoka might have reacted in surprise. Still, she had just enough in her to return the kiss.

"Aww, what a touching scene," Asriel said sarcastically. She snapped her fingers. "But it's time to say _goodbye_."

Another dark beam shot at the young pair, still in the middle of their intimate moment. Although instead of striking them both, the beam crashed into another shield. Unlike the first time, when Asriel imploded the beam, nothing happened to the pair. Instead, the shockwave knocked Asriel off balance and launched her backwards. She landed near the other end of the room, where she started.

"What? That's not possible," she said in disbelief.

Even more surprising to the evil mage was seeing the glowing circle that appeared underneath the pair. Neither of them noticed though even as they finally pulled away from the kiss.

"I wasn't really sure before, but I am now," Kotori said. "I love you, Honoka."

"I love you too, Kotori."

Kotori finally noticed the glowing circle around them as the light got brighter. Then suddenly, a light started to glow from Honoka's chest.

"H-Honoka?"

"Kotori, you're glowing?"

Confused, Kotori looked down and noticed a light from her chest as well. Honoka grabbed onto Kotori's shirt. "This feels weird… What's going on?"

The lights within them continued to shine. As they started to get brighter, Kotori felt all the pain throughout her body start to disappear. Within a few seconds she felt completely healed. The light continued to glow brighter and brighter, and Kotori started to feel even better than she ever had before. She felt stronger, like her magic was increasing. She removed her right hand from Honoka's side and held it up, testing the thought by conjuring a flame.

She was surprised at what had appeared. It wasn't the usual black and purple mix that characterized dark magic, but a mix of black and gold. Gold symbolized holy magic, and Kotori only knew one other person besides Hanayo that used holy magic at all.

"Honoka-"

Before Kotori could ask her question, Honoka sat up. Like Kotori, she held her hand out and conjured a little flame. And just like Kotori, it blazed a mix of black and gold.

"My… My magic is back?"

"That's… That's impossible!" Asriel's voice came from across the room.

Because they weren't expecting to even be here anymore, and because of their emotional moment, both girls forgot about the older woman still in the room with them. Though what caught Kotori the most was her mother's exclamation. It was the first time she had ever heard her mother lose her cool.

"The ceremony was finished. I have all your magic now. Your life force should be drained now. How are you still alive?!"

Asriel's voice shook even more, and Kotori got the feeling that they might have a chance after all. Almost as soon as she finished that thought, the light from her and Honoka got brighter once more. This time though, the glowing lights separated from their bodies.

The lights hovered a little over their heads and started to take on a shape. As it finished changing, they lowered themselves to Kotori and Honoka again. The light finally faded and the objects fell into their laps. They were weapons, a rapier for Honoka and sword for Kotori. Not only were they similar to their old weapons, they were also similar to each other. The hilts of both weapons had the same orange and black design. Even the blades had a similar design, a sun low on the blade with feathers scattered across the length of both blades.

So many questions were running through Kotori's mind right now. However, she knew that now wasn't the time for that.

"Kotori," Honoka said.

She looked up at the princess, seeing determination in her eyes. Kotori somehow felt like Honoka was thinking the same thing she was.

"Yeah, I know."

They both stood up, taking their new weapons into their hands. Kotori wasn't sure what, but she felt there was something different about this sword compared to her own. It was as if it was giving off it was radiating power of its own, and feeding it to Kotori. She looked forward, seeing a chance to find out if it was true.

She used the same sword technique as before, filling the blade of her sword with magic. She swung her sword, sending the magic wave flying at her mother. The results were just as she was hoping. Even though she used the same amount of energy as she always did, there was a lot more power behind it as it was released. Asriel collected herself in time to cast a barrier, and the wave hit the barrier, causing the floor below them to shake a little.

Kotori probably would have enjoyed how strong she felt if her mother wasn't already counter-attacking. In a moment several dark orbs spawned around them and closed in. Kotori saw to her side that Honoka was already reacting. Although instead of casting a barrier, Honoka summoned her own light spheres, perfectly matching Asriel's spell and causing the dark spheres to explode at a safe distance all around them.

Kotori used the smoke from the two spells so that she could safely close the distance to her mother. As quickly as Kotori struck, Asriel still managed to guard her attack just in time, and Kotori found herself hitting a magic shield. In response Asriel summoned to dark spears above. Kotori jumped back in time to avoid being impaled.

In rhythm, Asriel pulled one of the spears out of the floor and lunged forward at Kotori. Kotori didn't have enough time to react, but Honoka did. She appeared in front of Kotori just in time to catch Asriel's spear with her rapier.

Both sides seemed even as the battle continued. Any spell or attack that Kotori or Honoka couldn't block, the other appeared just in time to save block it. Asriel seemed to have no trouble either attacking or defending against the two.

Kotori started to notice something happening while they fought. Whenever Honoka was fighting up close with Asriel, and Kotori wanted to come in for an attack, Honoka would move out of the way just in time without Kotori having to signal her in anyway. It worked the other way as well. There were moments where Kotori was up close, and suddenly felt like she should dodge back, and did so just in time for Honoka's spell to fly past her and attempt to hit Asriel.

As well as they were doing up to this point, Kotori was still a little nervous in the back of her mind. The spells her mother was using were very strong, and while she and Honoka had been blocking them so far, the marks and destroyed artifacts around the room told her just how costly it would be to actually get hit by one of those spells.

Kotori swung her sword, and once again Asriel blocked her using magic. Kotori didn't back down, and tried to force her blade down on Asriel. And for the first time this fight, it was working. Kotori's sword inched closer and closer to Asriel, who was struggling to push back with her magic shield.

Getting desperate, Asriel used another spell. It was a basic fireball spell, but she only needed it to force Kotori back, so it didn't have to be strong. Since the spell appeared above Kotori, she couldn't actually tell how strong it was. But she did feel the presence of the spell, and jumped backwards to avoid it.

Though, as she jumped backwards, Kotori filled her blade with as much magic as she could. She threw the magic wave as fast as she could, aimed at her mother. Almost as soon as her attack left the blade, another magic wave came flying by. The two waves connect, forming an X as they crashed onto Asriel's shield. Just as Kotori was hoping for, the impact from the attack knocked Asriel back across the room.

_Even with most of Honoka's magic, she's been using too much magic for her spells. Now she's running out,_ Kotori realized.

Before she could say anything, Honoka appeared by her side. Although she was right handed, right now she was holding her rapier in her left, using her right hand to take hold of Kotori's left hand. She held her rapier out in front of them, and a magic circle drew itself around them as Honoka began casting a spell.

Because of their differences in attribute affinity, Kotori didn't know what spell Honoka was casting at all. But almost instinctively, she crossed her sword over Honoka's rapier, and began chanting along. Despite not knowing any of the words, she was saying them perfectly and in time with Honoka. The magic circle, which was glowing only gold before, changed into a mix of black and gold.

Honoka had her eyes closed, focused on the spell. But Kotori kept hers open, and couldn't help but look up while continuing to chant. Asriel was on her feet again, and as their eyes met, Kotori knew it was a few seconds before her mother would respond with a spell to try to stop them.

Honoka tighten her grip on Kotori's hand, and any worry that was about to rise up in Kotori was gone. Trusting in her, Kotori closed her eyes as well to focus on the spell.

Although she couldn't see it, Kotori could feel the magic from her mother's spell being gathered and then released. She wasn't sure what spell her mother used, but Kotori kept her eyes closed anyway. She could feel as the spell got closer and closer, and then just disappear entirely.

She could only guess that somehow a barrier protected them, but she would never find out for sure. She didn't really mind not knowing either. Whatever it was bought them the few seconds they needed to finish, which was all that mattered.

As they raised their weapons up, Kotori opened her eyes again, amazed by what she saw. Several magic swords and spears had appeared in front of them, glowing either black or gold. There were too many for Kotori to count, and they were all pointed at their target, her mother.

No signal was needed, no words needed to be said. Together they swung their weapons down, pointed at Asriel, and the spell came alive. The magic swords and spears shot forward, raining down on Asriel's position. Asriel was able to block the first two waves, but she had reached her limit. Her magic shield gave out, and the rest of the spell found her. Kotori looked away, unable to watch.

Once she could no longer hear the sound of skin being pierced, Kotori looked back. Though she was surprised not to see the pool of red liquid she was expecting to see underneath her mother's fallen body. Instead Asriel's body transformed into a black smoke, almost like the shadows did when they died.

Except that Asriel didn't fade like the shadows. The black smoke took shape of a giant shadow creature. Kotori could feel power radiating from Asriel's new form. But it wasn't magic any longer, it was something else.

"She turned into a demon," she heard Honoka say beside her.

"A… demon?" Kotori repeated in disbelief. "My mother became a demon?"

"No… I think she's always been a demon."

Asriel's form let out a deafening shriek before charging straight for them. But neither of them backed down. Their hands started glowing as they held each other's tighter. Right before Asriel reached them, a magic barrier shielded them. As she crashed into the shield, her form evaporated.

It took a few seconds for the presence of Asriel's demon power to disappear, but once it did, Kotori could feel nothing but relief wash over her. Her sword dropped out of her hand onto the floor, but she didn't care. She let go of Honoka's hand as well so she could wrap her arms around the princess. Honoka's rapier fell to the floor as well so she could return the embrace.

It was finally over.

* * *

**Hey everyone, nobodD here!**

**Wow was this chapter hard for me to write. My fight scenes still leave a lot to be desired. Still, we got through it in the end. **_***phew***_

**Let's see if I can remember everything I wanted to talk about for this chapter.**

**Firstly, the shadow creatures. The main reason I used them was similar to my reasons for how fights have gone in previous chapters. It was a way to both keep the rating down while not making it silly like in Capua Nor, where they had to go for non-lethal hits, despite the obviously lethal weapons. It also helped to show off a bit of what I want to introduce during the next arc of this story. Hopefully my fight scene writing will get better by then too X3.**

**Next thing to talk about, Richter. Yep, he wasn't just in the first two chapters only to disappear. It's only fitting that Kotori's final challenge before her mother would be her brother.**

**Well aside from giving them names, the sisters were basically there so that Kotori would be separated from the rest of the group. After Kotori was chosen for Honoka's partner at the start of this story, I knew that this fight scene with her mother had to happen. It had to be only Kotori and Honoka to face her, for some probably obvious reasons by now X3. The sisters showing up after Kotori's group beat Richter gave the perfect opportunity to set it up.**

**There are a few things that still need discussion. Namely:**

**Asriel being a demon**

**A character that hasn't been mentioned since the second chapter, aside from Richter**

**Basically everything about the fight scene with the mother**

**However, I'm not going to explain those here. I'm going to leave them for the next chapter to explain. You're welcome to speculate, of course.**

**Like I mentioned, there's at least one more story arc planned for this story. But we still have one more chapter before we wrap up this arc. If you have any questions about anything that hasn't been explained, aside from the three I listed, ask so I can answer them in the next chapter. And as usual, comments and reviews are always appreciated.**

**See you in this arc's epilogue~**


	21. Epilogue (Conversion Arc finished)

**Vlad Leonardo: I can't really respond to that without spoiling. You'll just have to wait and see ;) I will say you're usually on-point with your guesses though.**

**lychee-ran: I haven't forgotten, I just feel like with the way Rin's personality is portrayed in this story, having -nya at the end of her sentences didn't seem like it would fit. **

***Disclaimer: I do NOT own Love Live!**

* * *

The room was silent after the battle had ended. Destroyed remains of pictures and vases were scattered around the large room. The walls were marked with burns and tears from spells and blades. It was quite the mess, and for a certain maid, it was proving quite difficult to resist cleaning. But she managed to keep herself in check. She sat off to the side of the room, waiting for something more important than cleaning the room in a place she doesn't live in.

"You look as calm as ever, Maria," the young mage said as she walked up to the maid.

The maid smiled up to her. "Hello, Maki."

"Mind if I join you?"

Maria patted the spot next to her. Maki accepted the invitation, and Maria waited for Maki to find a comfortable sitting position before continuing.

"Is there any reason not to be? We did win, after all."

Both looked to the middle of the room. The rest of their friends were gathered there, idly chatting amongst each other. Included in their conversations were Yui and Mira. Despite their clothes being torn in a few places, they were both smiling and laughing with the others.

"Mercenaries sure are strange," Maki commented. "Ready to fight you to the death if told to, but the moment you beat them, it's like you've been friends forever."

"They follow orders. And when they have none to follow, they do what they want. It's not that much different from how I am. Or Eli or Rin, for that matter."

"You may have a point there. But anyway, aren't you worried at all?"

From the corner of her eye, Maria could see Maki look toward the door they sat near. The door to the ritual room.

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't even a little doubtful. But I have faith that everything will be fine."

"What makes you so sure?"

"There's a mysterious force, capable of miracles, which Kotori recently discovered for herself."

Maki tilted her head. "A mysterious force?"

A smile crept onto Maria's face. "You'll understand someday, I'm sure."

Just then, the door nearby them opened, causing the two to look over. Kotori and Honoka emerged from the room, their new weapons still held in their hands. But what made Maria smile a little wider was seeing them walking hand-in-hand.

"I told you they'd be fine," Maria said to the maid as she rose to her feet. She wasted no time in reaching the two. "See? I knew I could trust you."

"Yeah, yeah," Kotori replied. "It was lucky timing. A few more seconds later and it would've been too late."

Maria just smiled before looking to Honoka. "Congratulations, Honoka-sama."

"Thanks Maria," the princess replied, red sneaking onto her cheeks.

Kotori held her hand a little tighter, feeling the princess relax quickly. She noticed the group talking in the middle of the room. "Looks like everything's fine out here as well."

"You missed a great fight," Maki said enthusiastically as she joined them.

"It was quite a sight watching her and Yui go at it," Maria said. "Most of the room is destroyed thanks to them. Sorry about that, by the way."

Kotori shook her head. "Don't worry, it'll get cleaned up at some point."

"How about we join the others?" Honoka suggested.

The four of them wandered over to the middle of the room. The others looked over from their conversation when they noticed, smiles appearing on their faces upon seeing them.

"Welcome back, Honoka-sama," Rin greeted first.

"Glad to be back," Honoka responded, smiling.

"Good to see you're okay," Umi said.

"You're not hurt too badly or anything, are you?" Hanayo asked, a hand already reaching for her wand.

Honoka shook her head. "I'm feeling better than ever, actually."

"I can see why." Nozomi said. "You know, from the moment I met you two, I thought you were cute together."

A little red graced the pair's faces. "T-thanks," they both responded.

"I still can't believe it took you two this long, though," Nico said.

"Hey, at least it worked out in the end," Umi pointed out. "And more importantly, they're both safe and back with us."

The others all nodded in agreement. Although she didn't really want to, Kotori let go of Honoka's hand so she go around and hug everyone as they each took turns welcoming her back. While she watched, she felt something touch her hand. She looked down, finding it to be Mimi in her wolf form touching her nose to Kotori's hand. Once she got Kotori's attention, Mimi turned her head to look at something. Kotori followed Mimi's gaze, a little surprised.

There was a door along the wall that she never remembered being there. She remembered that part of the wall just being some fancy design. In fact, now that she looked at it again, that design was missing, almost as if the door replaced it.

Just then, the mysterious door opened, spilling a lot of dark mist out of the room. A figure slowly stepped out from the room as well, but Kotori couldn't tell right away who it was because the black mist covered them up. Though as the mist faded, and she could now make out who the person was, Kotori couldn't believe her eyes.

"Father?"

The others didn't notice at first. It wasn't until Kotori ran that Honoka had looked around for her. The others looked after Honoka seeing Kotori just as she reached the other figure and threw her arms around him.

"Father, it is you!"

"Owe. Yes, it's me, Kotori," the man replied. He noticed the tears in his daughter's eyes. "Hey, what's wrong? Did something happen?"

"You just disappeared suddenly. We were told that you were dead…"

"What? But we just celebrated your birthday yesterday…"

That was the last thing Kotori was expecting to hear. She looked up at her father as he looked around the room.

"Come to think of it, what happened here? Why is everything broken?"

"Father… My birthday was a month ago…"

It was her father's turn to look down at her, surprised. "…What was that?"

"You went missing right after my birthday. It's been a month since we've last seen you…"

It took a few seconds for this new information to process. The confusion on his face was replaced with a slightly dark one.

"I probably know the answer already, but I want to hear it from you. What happened to your mother?"

Upon hearing the question, Kotori let go of her father. She took a couple steps back, dropping her gaze to the floor.

"She… she's dead," Kotori managed to reply.

"She's not an easy woman to kill. Tell me, how exactly did she die?"

He kept his voice even, and although Kotori couldn't see, his expression was also very neutral. After a couple of seconds, Kotori felt a pair of hands grab hold of her left hand. She didn't need to look to know whose they were. Composing herself, she finally looked back up to meet her father's gaze.

"It was me. I killed mother."

Her father nodded slowly, letting out a sigh. "I see."

He stepped forward and closed the distance between the two. Kotori felt Honoka grip her hand a little tighter, and she could tell the princess was a little nervous but ready to react to anything. Kotori held her ground and let her father step in front of her.

Her father placed a hand on her right shoulder. And to her surprise, a smiled formed on his face.

"Well done, Kotori. I'm so proud of you."

"… Huh?"

"I'm sure by now you've found out what your mother really is, right?"

Kotori nodded. "She's a demon."

Her father nodded. "Aside from shadows, she's also able to control minds."

"She… she can?" Honoka couldn't help but ask.

"Yes, it's an ability unique to her as a demon. But it's very limited, as she's unable to use it in most cases."

"Then… when is… or _was_, she able to use it?" Kotori asked.

"She had to implant a seed within her target, and after a certain period of time, she would have full access to them. Although, there were times where her control would fade."

"So… did that mean she was controlling you?" Maria asked. Kotori only became aware then that the others had made their way over during the conversation.

"Very perceptive. That's right, she was controlling me," Kotori's father answered. "It's been this way since we met. I wasn't aware of it at first, obviously. I only realized it by accident. Asriel was in the ritual room, contacting whom I believe to be her father, and I overheard some things. That's when I realized I was being controlled, but before I could do anything else, she had regained control."

"Wow… So mother could do something like that… " Kotori said.

"Although she didn't do it right away, she had also taken control of your brother."

"… I guess that would explain why he had suddenly changed and became attached to mother."

"That's right. She was getting ready to control you as well." He moved his hand from her shoulder to her head. "But looks like you put a stop to all of her plans."

"Yeah… Although, I sort of wish she could have been stopped another way…"

"Hey, it's for the best in the end, right?" Honoka said. Kotori glanced over and saw her giving a reassuring smile.

She smiled as well. "I guess so."

"Ah, forgive me for not properly introducing myself sooner. I'm Minami Wingul, Kotori's father."

"I'm Kousaka Honoka. I heard you used to be friends with my father," Honoka said.

"Kousaka, huh? That name takes me back." The smile faded a little from Wingul's face. "I wonder what he thinks of me after Asriel made us attack him…"

"He's never said anything bad about you before," Honoka said reassuringly. "Although… I can't say the same about your wife..."

"Heh, I wouldn't be surprised if he knew what was happening all along. Well, I suppose I'll have plenty of opportunities to catch up with him again thanks to you two. Anyway, nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too, sir."

"Looks like you were raised well, but you don't have to be so formal. Just take care of my daughter, alright?" He said with a playful smile.

"R-right…"

Wingul couldn't help but chuckle as the pair's faces grew red. After, the others went around introducing themselves.

"Nice to meet you all," he said after everyone was done. "And thanks for helping my daughter."

"It's more like she helped all of us," Maki said, to which the others nodded.

"Heh, I see." Then he turned to Kotori. "So, what do you plan to do now?"

"Uhm… Well…"

"She should come back to Zenethra with us," Maria answered.

"Eh? Why's that?"

"The procedures for when I succeed the throne," Honoka answered distantly.

"You don't make it sound all that great," Kotori commented.

"Well, the biggest thing is finding a partner," Maria explained. "The King wouldn't mind that it's you, Kotori. But Honoka-sama is a princess, so he isn't the final say in this case. That would be-"

"Her mother," Kotori finished, to which Maria nodded. Kotori looked to Honoka beside her. "Does she hate me that much?"

"It's not you," Honoka answered. "It's just… well, Mother is very traditional about these kind of things…"

"I see. Well, let's see if we can't change her mind and show her I'm the best choice for you."

Honoka's usual smile returned as she looked up to Kotori. "I'd like that."

* * *

Then eleven of them left Dahngrest the next morning. Yui and Mira decided to stay and help Wingul in rebuilding Aselia, as well as all of Dahngrest, to get rid of Asriel's influences on their structures. Richter, who had returned to normal like Wingul after the fight with Asriel, needed time to recover from their fight with him.

With Wingul's help, they were able to have a ride arranged for them to get back to Capua Torim. There were three vehicles for them, plus two escorts. Kotori, Honoka, and Maria rode in the lead vehicle. Mimi changed forms into a cat so she could sit with Nozomi without taking a lot of space in one of the back vehicles.

"Hey, Honoka?" Kotori said.

"Yes? What is it?"

"During our fight with my mother, did you feel anything different?"

"You mean with my magic? Yes… It's felt a lot different than it used to."

Kotori nodded. "Part of it feels familiar, but the other part of it doesn't."

"Same with me. Ever since my powers came back after you kissed me. It's a weird feeling…"

"Your father is one of the strongest mages in history, right? Maybe we can ask him about it."

"It couldn't hurt to ask," Honoka greed.

"Hehe, you two have already kissed," Maria said beside them.

Honoka honestly forgot that her maid was with them and listening. Her face started turning red again as she realized what they had just admitted.

"Now, now," Kotori said. "There's no need for teasing, is there?"

"Whatever you say, _Kotori-sama_."

And now it was Kotori's turn to silently turn red, causing Maria to chuckle.

"I'm going to take a nap, don't mind me. Just don't get too affectionate while I'm out, please."

With that, Maria got herself comfortable with the armrest on her right, and drifted off to sleep. Kotori regarded the maid for a few seconds, unsure of what to think.

"Thanks, Maria," Honoka said.

"Thanks?" Kotori asked, confused.

"This is the best she can do to give us privacy other than stopping everything to switch vehicles."

"Hmm, and you got all that from being teased and then her taking a nap?"

"Well… the nap, yes. The teasing was just because she wanted to."

"Heh, well I guess that all makes sense."

"Maria can be subtle when she wants. You'll get used to it over time."

"I hope so. It'd make things easier if I can understand our maid most of the time."

Honoka didn't say anything. She just kissed Kotori on the lips, smiling after as she rested herself comfortably along Kotori's side. Kotori wrapped her arm around Honoka to help her feel more comfortable.

While they didn't take much advantage of the opportunity, Maria did nap most of the ride to the port city. Though the warm silence was all the pair needed to be happy, for now.

* * *

**Hey everyone, nobodD here!**

**So, my goal in this epilogue was to reintroduce Kotori's father as well as explain what was happening in the background within their family. Also the other goal was to present a few of the things to be covered in the next arc. I actually had the scenes planned out differently, but after rewriting most of this chapter about five different times, I eventually settled on this. I'm pretty indecisive, if you couldn't tell X3**

**On that note, congrats on finishing the first arc of this story! As always, I'd appreciate if you could review (or PM) and let me know your thoughts on the story up until this point. As mentioned we have at least one more arc planned out, and I'd definitely like feedback on any improvements moving forward.**

**Also, not really related to this story but I've lately been thinking of ways to keep you all updated on things, as well as interact outside of fanfiction, and was wondering if anyone would care for me to have some kind of social media account for that. I feel bad when chapters take as long as this one did to get posted, and was wondering if it would help to have a way to update you all without it having to be a fanfiction post. Just an idea. If you don't like it then we can ignore this part of the notes X3**

**Anyways~ I may or may not take a day or two off of writing. I kind of want a bit of time for myself to watch an anime or two, as well as get some rest from busy work schedule. I'll try not to take longer than 2 weeks to start the next story arc though.**

**Thanks to those sticking with this story. Bye for now~**


	22. Homecoming (Adaptation Arc begins)

**lychee-ran: You are scary good at recognizing things like that, you know? X3 Actually just for that, I threw in a reference toward the end, hehe.**

**Vlad Leonardo: Well, hopefully your question was answered now X3 And well, I do plan on some characters reappearing, so Wingul can definitely come back in a future chapter!**

**Guest: Well, it's not that I'm having trouble with the side pairings, but I've actually planned for the side pairings to start developing in this second arc, not the first one. **

***Disclaimer: I do NOT own Love Live!**

* * *

"I've lived in this city all of my life, this is the first time I've gotten to see it like this."

"And how is it?"

"It's… different. A little lonely without the crowds of people trying to surround me, but this is probably the most I've ever gotten to enjoy the city."

"Oh? And what makes it so special this time?"

Her voice got very soft. "… Because of you…"

The ash-blond couldn't help but smile at the otherwise incredibly cheesy answer, but she turned and kissed the blushing princess on the cheek all the same. Although her eyes were now completely focused on the ground as they walked, the princess held onto the other girl's arm a little tighter. The ash-blond saw the smile on the princess's face before looking forward again while they continued forward.

Two other girls followed behind the happy pair, the princess's maid and a young mage. They watched the scene in front of them with smiles of their own.

"They're really into this, huh?" the mage observed.

The maid chuckled. "Let them enjoy it. It's going to get very busy for them soon enough."

"It's going to get busy for us as well, huh?"

"Possibly. I do have an important question to ask you about that first, Maki."

The mage looked over curiously. "What is it, Maria?"

"Why exactly do you want to become a Cygnus Knight?"

"Oh…" Maki's mood quickly changed. "Well, my parents died while I was young. And although the other mages in Arcadia looked after me, they never stayed longer than they had to. I didn't have friends or anything either. I was all alone most of the time."

"That's… unfortunate. I'm sorry that you felt lonely all that time."

"Thanks… Anyway, aside from the mages, Eli came by from time to time to check up on me. One day she talked about how she was a Cygnus Knight, and said if I worked hard enough and reached certain standards, I could join."

"Interesting… Hey, do you know why Eli had decided to keep checking up on you and offer you a spot for the Cygnus Knights?"

"Hmm?" I believe she said something about feeling responsible for the incident, so she wanted to try to make amends somehow." She looked over curiously to the maid. "Why do you ask?"

"Just curious."

Maki continued to stare at the maid for a few more seconds, trying to see if there was something more to it. But she saw Maria's usual expression, and realized her curiosity was genuine.

"Come to think of it, I wonder how the others are doing," Maria said, trying to get the mage's focus away from her.

"Well, Eli and Rin have that gathering for the Cygnus Knights, so they should be fine." Maki sighed. "It didn't sound too fun, though."

At first, Maki wanted to go with Rin and Eli so she could experience some of the things that the Cygnus Knights did. However, once she learned that this particular gathering was just a meeting for them to give reports, she decided against it.

Still, Eli knew how much this meant to Maki, so she asked Maria if she could talk to the King in her place and see if she could help Maki. Maria had no reason to refuse, and so here they were.

"The others are being shown around Izolle by Hanayo," Maria added. "As long as they're not going around looking for trouble, they should be okay as well."

"Are you actually worried about them getting in danger?" Maki asked.

Maria shook her head. "Not at all, there are just times where I can't stand awkward silences."

"Sounds like something Honoka would say."

"Where do you think I got it from?"

The two laughed and continued to talk while following Kotori and Honoka, who had finished their own conversation and were now quietly enjoying each other's company. Eventually the two pairs rejoined and they walked together as four the rest of the way.

They all stopped at the front gate and

"It's only been about a week, but it feels like we left so long ago," Honoka said.

"That's because it has been a week," came a new voice.

Although it was an unfamiliar voice to Kotori and Maki, Honoka and Maria recognized it immediately. Without a second thought Honoka ran up the steps to meet the girl waiting halfway up.

"Yukiho-chan!" the princess exclaimed as she embraced her younger sister.

"O-Onee-sama…" Yukiho whined. "Not out here…"

"Hehe, you were asking for it by waiting out here," Honoka teased.

"I guess so." Yukiho suddenly lowered her voice. "Why did you disappear all of a sudden like that?"

"Eheh… an opportunity came up and I couldn't waste any time on it. Did I worry you?"

"N-not really."

But Honoka saw right through Yukiho. "Sorry for you worrying you, Yukiho-chan." Honoka gave her a bright smile. "But I'm back now!"

Yukiho smiled as well and nodded. "Welcome back, Onee-sama. And welcome back, Maria-san."

"Thank you, Yukiho-sama," Maria replied, bowing slightly.

Yukiho's eyes caught Kotori and Maki's. "I take it these are the two you wish to speak with Father about?"

"Ah, yes. I'll save the introductions for when we're with Father, though," Honoka said, recomposing herself.

"Hmm, fair enough. So, what's with that outfit?" Yukiho asked, noticing her sister's lack of royal clothing.

"You know how hard it is for us to be outside the castle. It's hard to have a nice, quiet walk with everyone swarming you."

"That's true…"

"Now, enough about me," Honoka said with a grin. "How goes the meetings?"

That was something Yukiho wasn't expecting. "I-I don't' know what you're talking about!" she stuttered out.

"Oh come on, I was the one who picked that dress out for the occasion. I know you're starting to have marriage meetings!"

Now her face was turning red, realizing she didn't change out of her clothes from earlier. "That's not- I…"

"Well? How many so far?"

Yukiho sighed in defeat. "Today was the fourth."

"And? Find anyone interesting yet?"

"Well…"

"Aww Yukiho-chan!" In an instant Honoka grabbed her sister by the wrist and started pulling her up the stairs.

"Ah- Onee-sama?!"

"Come on, you're telling me everything _now_!"

Before anyone had another moment to think, the sisters were up the steps and through the front doors of the castle, leaving the other three back at the bottom. Kotori and Maki didn't know how to react, and just staring at the doors. Maria couldn't help but smile.

"Yup, it's good to be home," she said to herself before turning to her two friends. "Come on, I'll show you around a little."

Together the three of them ascended the steps at a much more leisurely pace. As they entered through the doors they were greeted by another person familiar to Maria but not her to companions.

"Welcome back, Maria," the girl greeted.

"Thanks, Haru. You didn't follow them?"

She shook her head. "Honoka-sama's still too quick for me to react sometimes."

"And that's why she's mine," Maria said, and they both laughed. After, Maria turned to Kotori and Maki. "This is Haru. Just like I'm Honoka-sama's personal maid, Haru is Yukiho-sama's maid. Haru, these are Kotori and Maki."

"Nice to meet you," Kotori and Maki said.

"Nice to meet you, too," Haru returned, bowing her head. "And thank you for helping Maria watch over Honoka-sama while she was away."

"Don't mention it," Maki said. "She's done a lot for us already."

"That sounds like Honoka-sama alright."

Kotori started to feel a bit uncomfortable, as Haru's eyes were fixated on her. "Umm… Is something wrong?"

"Sorry, there's just something familiar about you…" Haru shook her head. "My apologies for staring at making you feel uncomfortable."

"Don't worry, you'll be very familiar with each other soon enough," Maria chimed in.

"Eh?" Haru looked at her, confused.

"Never mind . Are you going to rejoin our masters, or would you like to show these two around the castle with me?"

"Yukiho-sama has been very busy as of late. As long as she's having a little off-time with Honoka-sama, I think it's alright if I do the same with you. Besides, it's not like we don't know where they are."

Maria smiled at Haru's answer, then looked to Kotori and Maki who were both looking at her funny. She cocked an eyebrow, "yes?"

"I think that's the first time I've heard you refer to Honoka as _master_," Kotori said.

"That's because Honoka-sama got that out of Maria's and the rest of our systems as much as possible," Haru said with a laugh. "Eventually we came to a compromise, because we couldn't completely drop the fact that we're their maids."

"That definitely sounds like something Honoka would do," Maki said, amused.

"Anyway, shall we get going?" Maria asked.

Together the four of them started walking. As they walked through the many hallways, they passed by a number of maids. They each greeted Maria with a _welcome home_ and those that weren't carrying heavy things gave her a hug before going back to their tasks.

"Maria is basically the same as Honoka-sama amongst the maids," Haru said. "Rather than letting there be a divide between the four personal family maids and the rest of the staff, Maria made sure that everyone was friends and got along."

"Exactly how much influence has Honoka had on you?" Kotori asked with a smirk.

"Aren't you a perfect example of how much she can change a person?" Maria countered with her own grin.

"Fair enough," Kotori conceded.

Haru giggled. "Honoka-sama does seem to rub off on people easily. But between her and Maria, the maid staff does feel more like a family, and I think we're better off for it."

They continued to joke and laugh and enjoy each other's company as they walked around. Inwardly, Kotori and Maki marveled at the magnificence of the castle's interior. While Kotori had been here before, it was dark and she was trying to escape with Maria and Honoka, so she didn't really see much. As for Maki, who grew up in a very ordinary house, she couldn't help but be in awe at almost everything. Maria poked fun about it a few times, and while Maki was slightly embarrassed, it didn't stop the amazement she saw in everything.

The very last room they visited was Honoka's room. Maria knocked on the door in a certain way, which Haru explained was to let the people inside know who it was. Each family maid had their own pattern, and the rest of the maids shared a general pattern. They heard Honoka call to them from the inside that they were allowed to enter, and Maria opened the door.

Kotori vaguely remembered the room from her first visit. Though, the room looked very different in the sunlight compared to moonlight, and it was a lot easier for Kotori to see just how elegant Honoka's room was, from the tall bookcase, to the vanity, the tall mirror, and even her bed. They were all reminders, or rather confirmation, that Honoka was a princess and the next in line for the throne.

Honoka and Yukiho were on Honoka's bed. Honoka had changed out of the travel clothes she borrowed from Kotori, and Yukiho had changed out of the dress for her marriage meeting. Both were now wearing simple dresses that still managed to look more elegant than a normal dress should. Honoka's was a light orange, while Yukiho's was a light red.

"Over here!" she called to them.

They all took their shoes off before joining the sisters on the bed. Although they should've expected it, Kotori and Maki were both surprised that the six of them could sit on the bed comfortably with still a bit of space left for them to move around.

"Do you really need a bed this big for yourself?" Maki couldn't help but ask.

"Eheh, not really," Honoka admitted. "It was for when Yukiho-chan got scared at night and had to sleep with me. Four people can sleep here comfortably. So whenever that happened, Maria and Haru both joined us. Like a slumber party!" the princess concluded with a smile.

"That was years ago, though," Yukiho said, fighting off a blush. "We haven't had to do that for a while now."

"Yeah… They were fun while they lasted," Honoka said happily.

Kotori and Honoka's eyes met. Honoka didn't move, but Kotori could tell that the princess wanted to be beside her right now. She also felt Honoka wanting to share those kinds of moments with Kotori, but not saying anything as they agreed to wait until they revealed their relationship to Honoka's parents. Kotori smiled, hoping that Honoka could feel that Kotori wanted those things, too.

"So, all caught up?" Maria asked.

"Yup!"

"Although Onee-sama has some things she won't tell me," Yukiho said with a pout similar to Honoka's.

"I told you that you'll find out along with Mother and Father."

"When would you like to go?" Maria asked.

Honoka sat quietly and thought about the question for a few moments. "Mmm… The sooner the better I suppose."

She was about to get up from the bed when Maria held a hand up to stop her. Although no words were exchanged, Honoka wore a guilty expression as she relaxed herself back onto the bed. Maria got up and walked over to Honoka's closet, which no longer to her friends' surprise was a big walk-in closet. Maria disappeared for a few seconds before reemerging, two dresses on hangers now in her hands.

"I think those will do nicely," Honoka said.

Maria nodded. She closed the closet and walked over to the door.

"Go with her," she told Kotori and Maki.

"Wait… you mean you want us to wear-" Kotori started. But the look Honoka gave her made it impossible for Kotori to think about arguing. A little reluctantly, she got up with Maki and they both followed Maria out the door.

Maria led them to one of the guest bedrooms located two hallways down from Honoka's room. They looked around as they entered. While it wasn't as elegant as Honoka's room, it was still a nicer room than most people could afford.

"So, do we really have to wear those?" Kotori asked, looking at the dresses.

"We're trying to appeal to the King and Queen, mostly the Queen in this case," Maria explained. "We want to be as safe as possible. Do you not like dresses?"

"Well… it's not that I exactly hate them… I just prefer not to wear them."

"Just, try this out. Maybe it'll change your mind." Kotori gave her a look. "For Honoka-sama?"

"… That's not very fair," Kotori sighed, taking the dress from Maria.

Maria smiled. "Hey, if this all works out, you know you'll have to dress up more often. You might as well get used to it now."

"I guess you're right."

Maria handed the other dress to Maki, who didn't argue with Maria since she had no reason to. Maria helped Kotori into her dress first. She looked at herself in the mirror as Maria went to help Maki next. Her dress was mostly a white dress with light blue designs across the front. Simple, yet appealing, and for the first time, she felt pretty. She felt good about the way she looked.

_Maybe I could get used to this._

"See, I knew you would like it," Maria called from across the room.

Kotori turned as Maria finished adjusting Maki's dress. Maki's dress was similar to Kotori's, a simple dress other than some designs on the front. The dress itself was red with pink designs. Maki looked at herself in the mirror, twirling around once in spot, a big smile on her face.

"It's amazing!" she exclaimed. "I love this."

"Glad to hear. You can keep that when we're done."

"Really? Are you sure?"

Maria nodded. "Honoka-sama has plenty more dresses anyway. Now, time for your hair…"

* * *

After Maria was finally done getting Kotori and Maki ready, the three of them left the guest room and made their way back down the hallway toward Honoka's room. Once again Maria knocked on the door in code, but this time there wasn't an immediate response. _Just a moment_ they heard Haru call from inside. They waited patiently until the door opened by Haru.

"Alright, she's ready," Haru said with a big smile.

Without giving her time to think, Maria pushed Kotori through the door first. It was just hard enough for Kotori, not being able to move as easily because of the dress, to be sent stumbling into the room. Though rather than falling onto the floor like she was expecting, she felt a pair of arms catch her.

"Jeeze you two, that was completely unnecessary," Honoka said as she helped Kotori straighten up.

Kotori was completely speechless as she got a look at Honoka. She wore a brilliant white dress with orange around her chest, light orange flower petals decorating the edges, white gloves and shoes with orange at the end of the glove's sleeve, and a light orange hair ribbon. Her hair wasn't tied in a side-tail like it had been during their journey, but a normal ponytail at the back of her head. Topping it all off was a silver tiara with an orange gem at its center.

"K-Kotori?"

Kotori snapped back to her sense. "Ah- Sorry. I- It's- You look incredible…"

"T-thank you," Honoka stuttered through a blush.

Yukiho cleared her throat, bringing everyone's attention to her. Kotori noticed that while Yukiho's dress wasn't quite as extravagant as the one she wore earlier, it was still a very nice dress. It was mostly light red, with a darker red for the designs.

"If you two are ready, shall we head to Father's study?"

"Y-yeah, let's go," Honoka said, her eyes focused on the floor again.

Together the six of them left Honoka's room and walked in the opposite direction of the guest room that Kotori, Maki, and Maria were in earlier. Honoka had bounced back to her usual self in an instant, and was happily chatting away with Yukiho and an excited Maki. Kotori, Maria, and Haru were content with quietly following close behind them.

It was easy for Kotori and Maki to tell when they were outside the King's study. A large set of double doors were the only clue they needed. It was Honoka this time who went up to knock on the door. _Come in_ they heard from inside.

They looked around as they entered. The room looked like a normal study to Kotori, although bigger than any she's seen before. Sitting at the other end of the room was the King and Queen. Or more importantly in this case, Honoka's parents.

"Mother, Father, I'm home," Honoka greeted, notably less energetic than during casual conversation.

The King nodded and smiled. "Welcome home, Honoka. I'm glad you've returned safe and sound."

Honoka bowed. "Thank you, Father."

"And you as well, Maria. Welcome back, and glad that you're safe."

"Thank you," Maria said, bowing as well.

"I must admit I'm a little surprised. I thought you would take advantage of your freedom a little more."

"Ah… So you knew?" Honoka asked, though not really surprised.

"Sweetie, I knew the moment you took down my seal."

"Eheh, right…"

"Nice to see you again, young Minami," the King said looking at Kotori."

"Ah- Likewise," Kotori said, caught a little off-guard.

"Wait, Minami?" Yukiho asked, recognizing the name. But before she could ask more, Haru tapped her on the shoulder and signaled for her to remain quiet.

"Now, what is it you would like to speak about?" the King asked, returning his gaze to his eldest daughter.

"Well, it's about Kotori actually." She noticed her father raise an eyebrow as she said Kotori's name, but gestured for her to continue. She drew another breath, and with more confidence she said, "Mother, Father, I've chosen Minami Kotori as my partner."

There was no immediate response. "Are you sure that this is the person you want to spend the rest of your life with?" the King asked after a few moments.

"Yes," Honoka said without hesitation.

Again silence followed. Neither of her parents' expressions changed from the neutral one they held. Then her father's expression changed, into a smile.

"It looks like letting you run off was the right move in the end," he said. "You have my approval."

"Thank you, Father."

As soon as she said that, her eyes shifted toward her mother. The Queen still didn't change much of her expression.

"If I may ask, what is the reason for this?" the Queen asked. "What do you see in her?"

Honoka faltered. "I… I'm not sure. Something inside me just tells me that we're right for each other."

"Oh? Will you stand by that reasoning even if it meant relinquishing your status? Do you trust her with your life?"

That made Kotori nervous. She knew Honoka completely trusted her like she completely trusted Honoka. She knew without a shadow of a doubt that they loved each other that much, despite the short amount of time they've known each other. She knew, no, she could feel that Honoka would respond with a _yes_.

But that's what worried Kotori. Honoka would be giving up her title as princess, her status as nobility, and the life she's known all this time, just for her. As flattering as that was, Kotori couldn't let Honoka do that.

Though, Kotori's hesitation proved costly. She snapped out of her thoughts just in time to hear a confident _yes_ from Honoka. Now without anything else she could do, Kotori looked to the Queen as she drew a breath.

"Then, it looks like I have no other choice…" A smile formed. "But to grant you my approval as well."

_Wait... She… what?_

"E-eh?" Kotori heard Honoka manage, just as surprised as she was. A quick glance around showed the other four in similar shock. She turned back to the Queen as she heard laughter.

"Ah, I've been waiting to do that," she said as her short laughing fit calmed down. "Although, I was expecting your life partner to be a man, and the one declaring, this is just as good." She looked to her husband. "See? I was completely right."

"Yes you were dear," was the King's simple reply

"Uh… Mother? Father?" Honoka asked. "What's going on?"

The Queen took another moment to completely settle herself down before continuing.

"Sweetie, tell me, what's the one thing I've always told you and Yukiho-chan growing up?"

"To follow our hearts and what we think is right, no matter what," Honoka said without having to think.

"Correct. Like I said, I had imagined that you would find a male partner. But as long as this is something you want for yourself, then I will do nothing but fully support you. Same for you, Yukiho-chan."

Honoka couldn't help the smile and tears that began forming. "Mother…"

Unable to control herself any longer, she ran across the room. The Queen was quick to her feet and caught her daughter so the two could hug.

"To be honest, I knew something like this would happen."

"R-really?"

"You've never done anything like what you did that night. But as soon as Kotori shows up, you sneak out of your room past curfew, break your father's seal, and escape with her and your maid out of the castle. It wasn't hard to piece together."

A blush formed on the princess's face. "I-I see."

The Queen couldn't help but chuckle. "I've had enough time to come to terms with this possibility. And honestly, I think it's time we change a few traditions, don't you?"

Honoka looked up into the familiar warm smile. "Thank you, Mother."

"You're welcome, dear. Now as much as I missed hugging you, I think there's someone else who would like your attention."

Honoka didn't need to ask who, as she could already feel who it was. Letting go of her mother, she turned to hold hands with Kotori.

"While it isn't official yet, let me be the first to welcome you into the Kousaka family, Kotori."

"Thank you, your Highness," Kotori responded, bowing her head.

"Remilia is fine. I'm already addressing you by your name, it's only fitting."

"Then, Remilia," Kotori said carefully.

"There you go," the Queen said with a smile.

"Hey, maybe now we'll get to see Wingul again after so long," the King said.

"Knowing my father, I'm pretty sure you will," Kotori said.

"Well, now that that's out of the way," Maria spoke up. "There's actually something else I wish to talk to you about, sir."

"Oh?" The King turned his attention to the maid, as well as one other. "I assume it has something to do with this young redhead."

Maria nodded, then gestured for Maki to introduce herself. "A-ah. My name is Nishikino Maki. I'm a mage from Arcadia." She bowed.

"Nishikino, huh?" The King's face softened a little. "I'm sorry for what happened to your parents."

"I-it's okay, it wasn't your fault."

"Sir, I have a special request regarding Maki," Maria continued. She waited for the King to give her permission to continue.

"I would like to request… that Maki be adopted into the Kousaka family."

* * *

**Hey guys, nobodD here!**

**Alright, so I took a lot longer of a break than I wanted to give myself. Whoops. Sorry for taking so long… But hey, we're back to this story! Yay *party poppers***

**So definitely, this first chapter of the second arc needed to be all kinds of warm and fluffy. It's me making up for basically no fluff for the main pairing for all of the first arc X3**

**As for this chapter ending… Well, remember how I mentioned that the side pairings would develop in the second arc? Do you also remember the pairings? They were announced at the end of chapter 17 if you need a reminder. The only reason I don't put them in the story description is because I ran out of characters X3**

**It'll get dramatic and serious later, but for now we're starting off this arc with some fun!**

**And with that, I'll see you next time~**


	23. Recoil

**Shintori Khazumi: Heh, glad you're enjoying so far. And I haven't even thought of the Frozen point before, but they are sister princesses, the connection is there. Honoka would definitely fit Anna better, haha.**

**lychee-ran: Hehe, well Remilia was my first Touhou love and when I was going through the reviews so I could reply, I was totally in the mood for it X3 I don't know about Flandre though. Chance for more backstory? Haha. As for Maki's adoption, more shall be explained soon.**

**Major Mike Powell III: Heh, I had to go for the funny route with Honoka's parents, no doubt X3. Oh, I wonder who Yukiho's suitor is too~ When to reveal that, I wonder~ haha.**

***Disclaimer: I do NOT own Love Live!**

* * *

"… that Maki be adopted into the Kousaka family."

Maria's words were met with silence. No one moved, no one said anything for a few moments. Then Remilia finally spoke, summing up everybody's first thoughts and reactions in a single word.

"What?"

"You two are just full of surprises today, aren't you?" the King said, smiling. "Adopting anyone into the Royal Family is quite the unique request. Is there a special reason you're asking for this, Maria?"

"Well, as you know her parents were involved in the incident with Niadra. Eli suggested that she try to join the Cygnus Knights. I've seen her in combat, and she's a very capable mage. However, I don't think that being a Knight is fitting for her." She turned to Maki. "No offense."

"Uh… None taken," Maki said, still confused by what's going on.

Maria continued. "After speaking to her personally myself, I've reasoned that this would be best for her."

"I see. And tell me, what makes you feel like you know better than Eli?" The King asked.

"I… Uh… Well…" Maria bowed her head slightly. "I didn't mean for it to sound like that. I-"

She was cut off by the King laughing. "Ah, calm down Maria. I know what you mean, and so does Eli. In the letter about your arrival, she mentioned her suggestion concerning Nishikino-san to join the Cygnus Knights, as well as the possibility you might suggest something else instead."

"Oh… I see."

The King nodded. "As I have said, adopting someone into the Royal Family, especially one not of nobility, is an extremely rare occurrence. It's something that doesn't just happen. She will need to prove herself."

"Prove herself?" Kotori repeated. "Prove herself how?"

"By beating me in a duel," Remilia said.

"Wait, what?" Honoka asked, confused. "Why does she have to fight you, Mother?"

"There is no set rule for something like this," she explained. "Both Eli and Maria commended her magic. It's only fitting that she prove herself through a duel, right?"

"Well… You have a point," Maria conceded. She turned to Maki. "But…"

"I'll do it," Maki responded.

That reply surprised her friends, but it was enough for the King and Queen.

"Then it's decided," the King said. "You can stay with Honoka for the night. At noon tomorrow, you'll duel the Queen to prove yourself. That should be enough time to rest, correct?"

Maki nodded. "That should be fine."

* * *

"So, how did you two like dinner?" Haru asked as the six walked through the halls.

"It was incredible," Maki said cheerfully.

"It was good," Kotori agreed. "Though, I think some of Hanayo's dishes were just as good."

"Some of them were better, I would say," Maria said.

"Is your friend's cooking really better than some of our chefs?" Yukiho asked.

"I would say so," Honoka answered. "Hey, maybe we could invite her and the others here some time."

"One thing at a time, Honoka-sama," Maria said.

The princess let out a playful whine, to which her maid just chuckled. As they reached the door to Honoka's room, the group stopped.

"Well, we'll see you three in the morning," Haru said.

"Eh? You're not going to sleep with us?" Maki asked Maria.

"Not tonight," the maid responded. She pulled the younger maid into her arms. "I promised this one that we'd catch up tonight, seeing as we haven't been able to all day."

"O-Oh…"

"Heh, have fun then," Honoka said. "Don't worry about the morning, just meet us by noon."

"Thank you, Honoka-sama."

The six exchanged goodnights. Honoka opened the door to her room and entered, followed by Kotori and Maki, while the other three continued down the hallway. The three in Honoka's room didn't say anything for a few minutes as they went about getting ready for bed.

Kotori carefully replaced the dress she was allowed to borrow back onto its hanger and even more carefully placed it back in Honoka's giant closet. She undid the hair accessory Maria gave her as Maki did the same with her dress that Kotori had done.

Turning around, Kotori saw Honoka sitting very quietly at her vanity. Her hair was still fixed in its ponytail from earlier, and her dress was still mostly on as well. She was sitting completely still, her eyes fixated on her reflection in the mirror.

"Personally, I like the look you had when we were traveling better, but I could get used to seeing you like this every day too," Kotori said as she walked over.

"I think I've decided on tomorrow's look," Honoka said, smiling.

She pulled at the ribbon in her hair, undoing it and causing her hair to fall to her shoulders. She then stood up as she moved her hair out of the way of the back of her neck. Without a word, Kotori slowly helped Honoka out of her dress.

While Kotori had walked over to Honoka from the closet, Maki had chosen to plant herself on Honoka's bed. She had been watching the pair with some amount of interest.

"So you two really can read each other's minds, huh?" she asked.

"I guess you can say that," Kotori said as she continued her careful work. "It's more like I get this feeling, and I can immediately understand what Honoka wants."

Honoka nodded. "Instead of hearing Kotori's thoughts or something, it's like her thoughts are mine, and mine are her. Or something like that?"

"That… wasn't really helpful," Maki said.

"We're still trying to understand it ourselves," Kotori admitted.

"Hopefully Father will be able to clear things up tomorrow," Honoka said.

Kotori finished helping Honoka change into her night gown and the two joined Maki on the bed.

"Speaking of tomorrow, how are you feeling?" Kotori asked.

"Well, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a bit nervous," Maki admitted. "But I already agreed, so I can't back out now."

"I'm still surprised by all of it," Honoka said. "I never expected Maria to suggest something like adoption."

"She has been acting a little strangely lately," Kotori said. "Did she say anything to you, Maki?"

The mage shook her head. "When we first reached Zenethra, she had asked me for my reasons for wanting to join the Cygnus Knights. Other than that, she hasn't mentioned it."

"Hmm, what were your reasons exactly?"

"Well, Eli was the one who suggested it years ago. I didn't have anything else in my life at the time. After all, I've been on my own for a lot of my life. So I just decided to go with it."

"But didn't you say the other mages in Arcadia helped to raise you?" Honoka asked.

"Kind of. They didn't really raise me, they just checked up on me occasionally to make sure I was doing okay."

"I see… So, you weren't really close with anyone there, huh?" Kotori asked.

Maki shook her head. "Not really."

Kotori nodded slowly, then looked to Honoka. "It's all starting to make sense."

"Yes, it is," Honoka said, nodding along."

Maki's gaze flicked between the two a couple of times. "You know, I'm really happy that you two finally got together, but could you please not use this special connection you two now have to keep secrets?"

Both of their faces broke into smiles. Maki was about to get annoyed, thinking that they weren't taking her seriously. But her thoughts were interrupted as Honoka crawled over to Maki's spot on the bed, pulling the younger girl into a hug.

"It's okay. You don't ever have to feel lonely like that ever again," she said gently.

"Honoka…" was all Maki could respond with.

Kotori nodded. "We're your friends. We want to be there for you when you need anything. I'm pretty sure Maria wanted you to know that by trying to adopt you into Honoka's family."

Maki couldn't help but smile. "Thanks, both of you. I guess I have to give it my all tomorrow, huh?"

"As long as you give it your all, everything should work out in the end," Kotori stated confidently.

Honoka released Maki from her hug. "Heh, I can't wait to have both of you as part of the family."

"One thing at a time," Kotoroi said. "We have to get through tomorrow first. Come on, we should get to bed. If tomorrow is as busy as the end of today was, then we'll all need a lot of rest."

Honoka wanted to protest, but a yawn came out first. "Okay…" she sighed.

Kotori pulled the covers off so she and Honoka could crawl into the bedsheets. Honoka laid down first, with Kotori holding herself up on an elbow as she looked over as Maki got off the bed.

"Going somewhere?"

"I actually need to use the bathroom first. I'll be right back."

Not really waiting for a response, Maki slipped out of the room. A couple of seconds went by as the two waited for Maki to walk far enough down the hall.

"Maria-chan is usually still up around this time," Honoka said.

"Then we probably won't be seeing her until morning either," Kotori said, not talking about Maria.

"Leave it to Maria-chan to come up with a crazy idea like this."

"Hey, look who she had as a master for as long as either of them can remember."

"Hey! I am a good master."

"A very cute one too."

A light blush touched Honoka's cheeks. "… So are you just going to stay like that the entire time?"

"Maybe. Someone has to watch over you while your maid is away, after all."

Even if Kotori was being serious, the puppy-dog eyes and cutely extended arms that followed made that impossible. She laid herself down next to Honoka, shuffling a little so that she could wrap her arms around the princess. Kotori gently kissed Honoka on her forehead before laying her head on the pillow and looking directly into bright blue.

"Better?"

A nod. "Better. Good night, Kotori-chan."

"Good night, Honoka-chan."

Honoka pressed herself into Kotori as much as possible as Kotori held Honoka tightly. It didn't take long for comfort to settle in and both to drift off into sleep.

* * *

Maki had a general idea of where Maria's room was located. They had stopped by it on the way to Honoka's room earlier in the day. However it was still Maki's first time in the castle. She remembered the area of the castle, but finding the exact room was proving very difficult.

"It should be… around here?" she said to herself as she looked around.

"Looking for something? Or maybe someone?"

Maki spun around as she heard the new voice. She found Maria leaning against the wall, originally hidden from her view by a well-placed vase.

"Maria!" Maki couldn't help say in surprise.

"Well good, you remember my name," Maria teased.

"I- No- That's not funny."

In a somewhat child-like display, Maki stomped her right foot, throwing both her hands to her sides and pouted. Had it not looked so adorable to her, Maria might have continued her teasing. Instead, she lifted her hands in a defeated gesture.

"So? What are you doing wandering around when you should be sleeping?" Maria asked.

"Ah, right. There's something I want to talk to you about."

"Oh? And would this happen to have anything to do with me asking for you to be adopted?"

Maki nodded. "Why… Why exactly did you do that?"

"Straight to the point, huh?"

Maria brought a hand to her face. She tapped her cheek a few times as she thought of her options. Maki waited patiently, though never taking her eyes off the maid. Eventually Maki noticed Maria nod, seemingly having come to a decision.

"Come with me," Maria instructed.

Maria walked across to the opposite wall and opened the door. Maki didn't question anything and simply followed the maid inside. She looked around, a bit surprised. She had assumed Maria and the other family maids had their own rooms. But seeing two big beds and still a good amount of open space wasn't something she would have guessed she'd be walking into.

A closer inspection of the room and Maki recognized three others beside them already inside. Haru was standing by the bed to the right, pulling down and fixing her night gown. To the left were two women. Maki recognized them from dinner as Clare and Ally, the two maids of the King and Queen respectively. They were already dressed and prepared for bed, and were simply sitting down and talking.

"Hello again Maki-san," Haru greeted as she noticed the two enter first.

"Ah, now what brings you here at this hour?" Clare asked, a warm smile on her face.

"There's something she wanted to talk to me in private about," Maria answered for the mage.

"Well, don't take too long," Ally said. "Sleep is important."

"Thank you," Maki said.

Maria led Maki to the far right of the room. She pulled the curtain aside, revealing a door behind it. She then stood aside, gesturing for Maki to open it. After a second of hesitation, Maki slowly pulled the door open.

Rather than a closet or something that Maki was expecting, she instead found herself looking into another room. Looking around, she recognized a few of the other maids that they passed by with Maria when they first arrived. They were all gathered around a rather young looking girl.

"I rescued her a couple weeks ago," Maria said only for Maki to hear.

"Rescued?"

"She was wandering one of the more troubled parts of the city on her own. No sign of any parents or anything, so she was either abandoned or the parents are dead. Poor thing."

Maki said nothing, choosing to silently observe the scene in front of her. One of the younger maids was holding up small board in front of the girl. The board had a word printed on it, which the girl struggled to sound out but managed it in the end. The other maids gathered around all smiled and applauded, one even patting the girl on the head.

Seeing the scene play out sent a sharp pain through Maki. She couldn't help but compare the girl to herself. They both had no parents at a young age, but unlike Maki, this girl was surrounding by people who really seemed to care for her. Maki tried to shake the feeling away, but she couldn't. It was something she had wanted growing up, but never got back at Arcadia.

"When we found her, she couldn't speak at all," Maria continued, smiling. "She's come a long way since then."

Maki finally couldn't take it, and pulled her eyes away to look at Maria. "Why are you showing me this?"

Maria met her gaze, the smile not fading. "This is what you wanted but never got growing up, isn't it? To make lasting memories with real friends. To be with people who really care about you. To be with family."

Maki didn't want to admit how true Maria's words were. But before Maki could look away, she felt Maria's hand on her cheek.

"She doesn't deserve to grow up alone, just like you didn't deserve grow up alone. I can't really do anything to fill that gap in your childhood, but I can try to make it so you'll never feel like you're alone ever again. I'm sure that's what Eli wanted for you too by suggesting you join the Knights."

"But then, why did you ask for me to be adopted? I could make friends in the Knights."

"I'm sure you could have, too. But you need something more than just friends. You need a family, people who will love you no matter what, and support you as much as possible moving forward. Even if they aren't your real family, the Kousaka's can be that family for you. You already get along with both princesses. The Queen is a wonderful mother and can teach you a lot as a princess, a mage, and a growing young woman. And the King is the same but as a father figure. "

Though Maria held Maki's face in her hand, Maki's eyes were still elsewhere. Placing her other hand on Maki's other cheek, Maria made sure the young mage was looking her in the eyes as she continued.

"You would have the support of not only the Kousaka Family, but from all the maids as well. Just like that girl over there, only the survival skills she showed on the streets would make for a handy maid. In your case, you're better suited to be among royalty. And I want you to know it. I want you to never feel alone or unloved ever again."

Finally it was Maria's turn to look away from her conversation partner. Her voice was fairly low already, but it got even softer.

"I know I sound pushy, like some kind of know-it-all, but I really think this will be the best for you. I don't think you belong with the Knights. But it is just my opinion after all. You don't have to follow it, but…"

Maria got no further, her sentence interrupted as Maki threw her arms around the maid.

"Thank you, Maria. Thank you for everything you're doing for me. I won't waste your efforts, I'll try as hard as I can tomorrow, for you."

"I'm sure you can do it," Maria said, returning the hug. "Now come on, you really should be getting to bed."

"Okay… Uhm… Maria?"

"I share with Haru, but we can still fit you in."

For the young mage this night, she would have the most pleasant dream she's ever had.

* * *

**Hey everyone, nobodD here!**

***Slumps in chair* Ok, so I know I'm very late on this chapter. I wasn't taking a break, or was too busy with real life stuff to finish. I just was never satisfied with my writing. I did close to 10 huge edits, meaning I either changed an entire scene or just deleted the chapter and restarted from scratch. I still am not very pleased with the ending, but again I'm extremely late on an update for this so I'll just get over it.**

***Sigh* Anyway. Like I mentioned, the chapter changed a lot. Originally it was supposed to be the continuation of the end scene from last chapter, Honoka and Kotori talking to the King about their strange new powers, and duel between the Queen and Maki. Well… at least one thing stayed the same, right? The two other scenes will still be included, just now in the next chapter instead of this one. And hey, character development is important, right? Hah…**

**Sorry for taking so long. I'll try not to take three weeks for the next chapter T.T I still have this oneshot I've been wanting to write, so it may be a bit of time again. Just hopefully not three weeks.**

**Hopefully I didn't lose too many of you. See you next chapter~**


	24. Determination

**lychee-ran: Oh, I know all about Flan. I just meant I don't know if I'm going to add a character based off her in this story. As for the others, they'll return soon.**

***Disclaimer: I do NOT own Love Live!**

* * *

Just as pleasantly as she had fallen asleep, Maki woke up feeling amazing. The first thing she was aware of was the warm, comfortable whatever that she seemed to have her arms wrapped around. As her conscious woke up fully, she became aware that her legs were wrapped around the thing as well. She was also aware that unlike their travels, her body didn't hurt at all. Everything combined, she felt extremely comfortable and relaxed. So much so that a pleasant sigh escaped her lips.

"Well judging by that, I'm guessing you're awake," she heard a voice say.

Her eyes fluttered open as she recognized the voice, and she was greeted to a wonderful sight. Maria stood at the side of the bed, wearing a simple white shirt with black shorts. A towel hung around her shoulders, and Maki noticed the maid's hair was still wet, a sign she had recently finished washing up. She smiled down to her, and Maki smiled in return.

"Good morning Maria," she greeted.

"Good morning Maki. You must have slept really well last night."

"I did, I really did. But how could you tell?"

Maria didn't say anything in response, instead just gesturing down. Maki was confused for a moment until she looked down at herself. The comfortable thing she had been hugging since she woke up was a body pillow.

"You have a pretty tight grip, you know," Maria said.

Maki's eyes hot back up to Maria. "You don't mean…"

Maria nodded, grinning. "It took a bit of effort to finally free myself. Luckily Haru had that pillow nearby or I might have not escaped."

"I- I'm sorry," Maki stammered, cheeks burning in an instant.

Maria chuckled. "I'm just joking. It was actually really nice to wake up to."

"… R-Really?"

"Yes. It's nice to know that you're comfortable with me, especially after last night."

The reminder got Maki to think about those events from last night. The child that was rescued, Maria's declaration, the feelings she felt throughout, she was able to recall all of it with crystal clarity. Seeing Maki smile as she thought about it brought silent relief to Maria. She sat on the bed nearby Maki, running fingers through the redhead's hair.

"Rest a little more if you want," the maid said. "Breakfast will be in the same room we had dinner last night. You can wash up before or after, it's up to you."

Maki almost missed everything Maria said, too distracted by the maid playing with her hair.

"We aren't all eating breakfast together?"

"No. Because everyone wakes up at different times, breakfast is very informal. Two cooks prepare all the food, and it's treated like a buffet. You eat what you want, and come and go as you please. You don't even have to change out of your nightgown if that's how you feel a particular morning."

"Has that happened before?"

"All the time. Breakfast is shared even with the maids. But depending on what they need to do during the day, some maids will try to eat as early as possible so they can start sooner."

"Ah, makes sense."

Maria nodded. "So, just head over whenever you're ready. Don't take too long, though. Your duel with The Queen is at noon, and you'll likely want some time before hand to warm up."

Just as Maria finished playing with Maki's hair and was about to pull her hand away, Maki reached up and grabbed her by the wrist.

"If… if it's okay with you… could you stay with me throughout the morning?" Maki asked as her cheeks reddened slightly.

_Too adorable_, Maria thought as she smiled. Out loud she said, "I would love to. If you want to get ready before we go to breakfast, do it quickly."

"Weren't you just telling me I don't have to rush?"

The maid's smile turned into a smirk. "If we hurry, you might be able to catch a side of the King that no one outside this castle will ever see."

Whether from innocent curiosity, or the chance at seeing some major secret, or both, Maki quickly threw the covers off and hopped out of bed.

"What are we waiting for?"

* * *

Although there was no official rule about it, no one in the entire castle ever ran for any reason. From the royal family to the maids, everyone was generally very punctual. Even in a hurry, the most one would do was a very quick walk to their destination.

Whether it was because of that or the excitement in the young girl next to her, Maria was quite enjoying running through the halls of the castle. While the bedrooms had carpeted floors, most of the rest of the castle was marble floors, providing extra fun combined with the two running in their socks. Despite not having done it in the castle before, Maria instinctively slid as she rounded corners. Maki was less versed in movement like this, and Maria had to catch her the first time. Maria took Maki's hand as they turned another hallway, guiding the redhead through the slide.

Their hands never separated the rest of the way.

Maki took a look around as they entered the large room that was the dining room. Unlike last night for dinner, where it was one table in the center for them to eat at and another table to the side for the maids to get the food, there were many small tables spaced throughout the entire room. Maki counted twelve, all able to fit about six to eight people each, and they were only taking about half the room. The other half was taken by two large tables where the breakfast platters all sat.

"This room felt pretty big last night," Maki said. "But now it feels even bigger."

Maria chuckled. "This is only the smaller Ball Room. It's not even where the King would host a real event."

"Seriously? There's a room even bigger than this?"

"Two, but don't get too caught up in details like that. You'll get used to it pretty quickly."

"I wonder about that…" Maki kept looking around, feeling something off. "There's a lot less people here than I thought there would be."

"Well, we actually got here around the time the earliest ones come. Most of the castle might still be just getting out of bed."

"I see. Do you usually come early, Maria?"

The maid nodded. "You know by now that Honoka-sama is an early riser. It's in my best interest to come as early as possible so that I can serve her right away."

"Wow, it must be nice for Honoka to have such a dedicated maid."

If Maki turned, she would've seen the slightest blush on Maria's face. "Thanks… Anyway, there's another reward for getting here early."

Maria pointed over to one of the furthest tables from them. Maki looked over just in time to catch the Queen and King walking. Or, the Queen was walking at least. It was easy to tell that she was a morning person, and the King wasn't. Had the Queen not been guiding him into the dining room, the King might have knocked into more tables just to sit down.

"See? I told you coming early would be worth it."

Maki wasn't holding in her giggles very well. "Hehe, you're right. Hey, is the King always like that in the mornings?"

"Yeah… Father's not a morning person in the slightest," came a new voice behind them.

Both girls turned, immediately being greeted by a brightly smiling Honoka and a softer smiling Kotori. Both were still dressed in their nightgowns, with Honoka wrapping her arms around Kotori's right.

"Good morning," both greeted in unison.

"Good morning," Maki returned first.

"Good morning. Sleep well?" Maria asked.

"Very well," replied Kotori. She moved her right arm which was being held by Honoka. "She hasn't let go of me since we laid down last night."

"Kotori-chan…" Honoka whined, although she was still smiling.

Kotori chuckled as she gave Honoka's cheek a quick peck. "So how about you two? How did your night go?" she asked.

"Very good as well," Maria responded, smiling toward Maki. "Talking last night was very helpful for both of us."

"That's good," Honoka said. Then she looked to her maid. "We're going to talk to Father about some things. You're welcome to join us if you'd like, otherwise you're free to do whatever you'd like today."

Maria nodded. "That actually works out for me. There are a few things I need to take care of."

"Hehe, I'm sure there is. Anyway, we just finished breakfast. We'll be in my room until we meet with Father if you need us."

"See you two later, then," Maki said.

"Yeah. Have fun today, you two," Kotori said, grinning.

Kotori and Honoka turned to walk out of the dining room. Maria and Maki quietly watched them leave, waiting until the couple disappeared through the large double doors. Once they were gone, the duo turned to the long table lined with food, eager to finally get some breakfast.

* * *

Maria and Maki didn't end up going to visit Honoka's room. Maria had noticed that Maki starting acting unusual. They were having a nice conversation full of laughter to start, but Maki had grown quieter and quieter as breakfast went on. Eventually she stopped picking at the food on her plate, and just stared. Maria knew right why Maki was acting like this. The young mage was getting nervous.

Maria suggested they go to one of the training room hall that would be used for the duel later. It was both so Maki could get familiar with how the room worked, as well as fit in some practice. Maria hoped both would help to calm the younger girl down. Seeing Maki fighting like she did back at Dahngrest told her that it was working. It was also a secret treat for the maid, watching the mage's dance-like movements as she used her spells.

Eventually a buzzer rang, sounding the end of this practice session for Maki and snapping Maria out of her little trance. As she made her way over to the mage, the room started to glow a light green, fading after a couple of seconds.

"So, feeling better?"

Maki nodded. "Yup! It's nice to be able to let loose and be healed up right after."

"Yeah, it is. Even though the room can't heal someone fully, it's still enough to allow you to continue training sessions for days."

"Thanks for bringing me here, Maria. It really helped calm my nerves down."

Maria smiled. "I'm glad I could help, but you don't really need to be worried about anything."

"But I really want this, now! I really want to stay here with everyone." Her voice became a whisper. "With you…"

Maria heard the last few words and smiled inwardly, but she didn't let Maki know she heard it.

"That's why you need to keep calm," she said instead. "If you start worrying and overthinking things, then you aren't going to do well in the duel."

"I… You're right…"

Maria stepped up to Maki and brought the mage into a hug. "Relax. I know you have what it takes. I know you can do this."

"Thanks…" Maki returned the hug, tightly. "Maria?"

"Yes?"

"If… If I don't get to stay in the end…"

"I'll visit you every day, no matter where you end up."

"Well isn't this a lovely sight to walk into," came a new voice.

They both turned to look as Remilia entered the room. They were both surprised, Maria more so than Maki. But it wasn't because of Remilia, as the Queen herself seemed as she normally was.

"Ally is covering the work I should be doing instead of this duel," Remilia answered their unspoken question.

"Ah, make sense," Maria said. "This wasn't originally part of your agenda and you don't know how long it will take."

"Correct. So, are you ready?" She directed the question to Maki.

Maki snuck one last look at Maria before nodding to Remilia. "Yes."

"Good." Remilia nodded to Maria, signaling her to move to the side. Then she addressed Maki again.

"For this duel, our magic will be used for stamina. In addition to spells, your magic levels will decrease as you take hits. First to use up all their magic loses."

Maria flinched as she heard the rules. She knew that Maki was an exceptional mage, both in spell usage on energy management. But Remilia was better, and even had a bigger magic pool to use. Remilia wasn't a natural magic user. Her magic comes from the King. Because of that, Remilia had put an extreme amount of time learning to control magic, resulting in her extreme efficiency in magic usage. A normal person would cast one spell, and Maki could cast the same one twice with the same amount of magic. Remilia could almost do four with that amount of magic.

But one look at the young mage reassured Maria. Maki didn't flinch, didn't look afraid. "Sounds good to me," she said, her voice never shaking.

"Then we'll begin at the buzzer. Good luck."

Maki only nodded, and waited as the countdown sound rang around the room. The timer ticked twice, both her and Remilia pulling out their weapons at the same time.

_A rapier, just like Honoka…_

Another tick sounded. Maki tightened the grip on her two fans.

One more tick. _What's that I feel…_

The instant the sound to start the duel rang, Maki created wind with her fans. At the same moment the ground below her started to glow gold. She shot the wind forward, using it to push herself backward. As she did, chains shot up from the ground. Had she not used the wind they would have caught her, but she managed to barely slip through the trap. She had no time to think, as another dangerous feeling flowed through her body. The moment she felt her feet hit the ground, she jumped herself to the side. This time, shard of ice impaled the spot she wasn't even standing in for a second.

Uncharacteristically, Maki used one of her stronger fire spells and just flung it. She let pure instinct guide her aim as she rushed out the spell. The large fireball flew quickly toward its target, stopping just short by a shield spell. Behind it, Remilia was smiling.

_To dodge out of both spells and counterattack accurately… Oh this is going to be fun._

But as the last of the smoke cleared, Maki was no longer in the same spot. Remilia could still sense her presence, but right now her sense was being thrown off and she couldn't quite place it. Finally it cleared up and she could properly find Maki.

_Left_.

She turned, bringing her rapier across her body in a defensive posture as she casted another magic shield. The shield formed, but not quick enough to block every ice shard. Some got caught in the shield as it materialized, while the rare three that made it completely by her defense were sidestepped.

Maki saw her attack fail, letting a slight frown form on her lips. She quickly shut out any negative thoughts. _I guess I'll have to try harder._

She had hardly finished her thought when she had to dodge out of the way of another spell. Maki retaliated quicker this time, casting an earth spell mid-dodge. Remilia dodged out of the way as the earth below her spiked upward.

But Remilia didn't land from her dodge, she disappeared midair. Maki felt her presence quickly approaching her landing spot. As her feet hit the ground, she brought both arms across her body. The magic shield formed just in time for a rapier to come crashing against it. Remilia used the motion her rapier bounced off the shield and made a curve in the air as she swung it to Maki's side. Maki moved the magic shield slightly to deflect the strike. Desperately Maki shot wind all around her, forcing Remilia jump back and create some space.

Maria watched as the fight continued like this. Back and forth, the two would attack and dodge each other's spells. Maria was impressed by how well Maki read and reacted to Remilia's casting speed and constant attacks. But the Queen was almost on the same level as Asriel or the King himself, and it very subtly showed. Here and there, a spell would slip through just enough to graze Maki's body. Maki would score hits on Remilia as well, but far less often than she would take a hit. Maria knew it would catch up to the young mage soon and this fight would be over.

Maki seemed to know this, too. She could feel a bit of magic disappear with each scratch, sensing her magic at a lower level than she would like to have right now. But with how much she's had to dodge around already, she didn't have a lot time to think of a proper plan.

_The problem is her speed,_ Maki thought to herself. _She's too quick for me to land most of my spells. But my large-area spells require a lot of magic…_

Maki brought her arms across her chest again to bring up another magic shield as Remilia came forward. But what the young mage didn't realize was the magic surrounding the Queen's rapier. As the blade hit the shield, the magic dispersed and pushed Maki backwards.

_I guess I have no choice._

Remilia was once again forced away by Maki using wind. As her foot touched the ground, Remilia immediately dashed forward again. Just as she did, the ground around Maki started to glow red, including the area she was just about to land. Once again she made her move as soon as she touched the ground, this time away from the young mage. She managed to clear the edge of the spell area just in time as fire erupted from the ground.

_Being able to use such a complicated spell so quickly, not bad,_ Remilia thought to herself. _I should probably end this soon._

Having made up her mind, Remilia focused on her next move. She casted the simplest spell she's used this duel, a volley of light arrows. It wasn't meant as a serious attempt, but it did exactly what Remilia wanted. Maki outright blocked it with a barrier spell and then followed it up with her own attack, just like she's done the entire duel so far.

Remilia focused on the spell, recognizing the ice spell before the light blue circle even formed around Maki. Once again she was surprised by Maki's speed in casting the spell, but she still didn't lose focus. As Maki casted her spell, Remilia made her move.

No sooner than Maki had casted her spell, Remilia disappeared from sight. Shards of ice fell in a large area around her, but Maki didn't notice. She looked around, not finding Remilia through sight or magic sense. Then she sensed something that made her turn around. It was Remilia, or more importantly Remilia's spell flying toward her.

Because of the last two big spells she used, Maki knew she was started to get close to her magic limit. She also could feel how strong the Queen's spell was flying toward her, and knew that blocking it would take a lot of her remaining magic. To try to save magic, Maki wanted to dodge out of the way instead.

But as she tried to move her feet, she found that she couldn't. She looked down, aware for the first time of the magic binding underneath her feet. Without any other option, Maki drew magic to cast a barrier. The light spell crashed into the barrier without enough force to have pushed Maki back a little had she not been rooted to the ground by the other spell.

Maki lowered her barrier as soon as she thought she was safe in another attempt to conserve some magic. But the sight that greeted her as she lowered her guard made her heart sink. There was a follow-up spell by Remilia, cleverly hidden behind the first, bigger spell. Maki's feet were still held in place by Remilia's trap, and now she had no time to cast another barrier. Without anything else to do, Maki crossed her arms again and braced herself for the spell.

Maria almost didn't want to watch, but she couldn't turn away. She wasn't aware of the breath he held as the spell made contact. Although she had a feeling she knew the result, she didn't want to move until the fight was over, just in case something extraordinary happened. Though that hope was quickly dashed as the room started glowing green, healing the two combatants and signaling the duel was over. Maria didn't wait another moment and ran over to the last spot she saw Maki, dropping to her knees and throwing her arms around the young mage.

"M-Maria?" Maki asked, still tired from the fight despite the room's healing.

"Yeah, it's me."

"Maria… I'm sorry."

Maria held Maki as tightly as she could. "Don't be, you did everything you could."

Maki couldn't respond. Instead she buried her face into Maria's shoulder and held the maid tightly. Neither was really aware that Remilia was walking over to them as well.

"Come now, there's no need to be sad," Remilia said. "No daughter of mine should make such a sad expression."

Both girls' heads snapped up in surprise. "Daughter?" Maria repeated.

"But, you said I had to beat you," Maki said. "And I didn't."

"It is true that I said that." Remilia admitted. "However, I never said that it was the only way."

"Huh?"

"To be honest, I never was planning on using the result of the duel to make my decision. Tell me, did you think all the rules for this duel were fair?"

"Well…" Maki shook her head. "Not really."

"That's because they weren't fair for you at all, and that was on purpose. You seem to know they weren't fair, yet you decided to continue regardless. You didn't run away or show fear, but rather met the challenge head on. You also showed exceptional combat skills. Only my husband and eldest daughter have been able to keep up with me like you have."

Remilia smiled. "You have all the qualities fitting to be part of the family, so I see no reason not to let you be part of it."

Maki almost couldn't believe her ears. Her mouth opened a few times, but she was unable to speak properly. It amused Remilia, and she almost let a chuckle escape her lips. She managed to keep it down, instead extending her hand out to the young mage. Finally, the Maki seemed to be able to recollect herself.

"Thank you, thank you so much!" she nearly screamed in joy.

She took hold of Remilia's hand, and the Queen helped her to her feet, immediately pulling the young mage into a hug. Maki held back tightly, as if trying to show how grateful she was. After a couple of seconds they both separated from the hug.

"Now if you two will excuse me, I have some work to return to. I'll see you both for dinner."

With that, Remilia turned and walked toward the door. It opened as she reached it, with Ally waiting for her on the other side.

"Well?" her maid asked.

"I think Maria should take some time to get used to her new master."

Ally nodded, understanding everything she needed to from the response. They both began walking down the hall.

_Hopefully, being alone together will be the little push they need to progress as well._

With a smile on her lips, she continued walking in silence. Ally saw out of the corner of her eye, but said nothing. She was just glad everything had worked out in the end.

* * *

**Hey everyone, nobodD here!**

**By this time next week, I'll be done with the semester. I can't wait to get some kind of free time back again ^.^ Hopefully it means more writing for you guys!**

**Wow, and I thought this would be a short chapter, but I'm completely wrong on that X3 Didn't mean to write so much but hey, maybe that's better for you guys in the end. It was definitely a satisfying chapter for me to write, hehe.  
**

**Lots of focus on Maki the last few chapters, but the focus will shift back to Kotori and Honoka again soon. Just one last thing about Maki's "adoption" to take care of next chapter. Also the other characters will start returning again, for those of you wondering where they disappeared to. And I don't just mean the main party. Lot's of fun to look forward to.**

**See you next chapter~ **


	25. Discovery

**lychee-ran: Basically all their ages are different from the anime, whether a little or a lot. I'm actually thinking of writing up the char info and posting it at the beginning of the story. And Remilia (I so want to call her Remi… X3) isn't going to miss the extra attention Maria has put on Maki since they got back to the castle. I don't know, if I need to name more characters I may use more Touhou names, but we'll see.**

***Disclaimer: I do NOT own Love Live!**

* * *

"Come in."

Following those words, the doors to the room opened and two girls entered. Both remained silent as they made their way to the large table at the other end of the room.

"Ah, right on time. Please, sit," the man behind the desk said, nodding to one of the two couches sitting in front.

Taking the invitation, the two girls sat together on the left couch. The man looked past them as they sat, seeing three maids by the door. The distinguished of the three said a few words, and the other two nodded before stepping outside. The remaining maid closed the door behind them and then made her way back to the desk.

He turned back to the two girls, still quiet and watching him expectantly. The younger girl that he was very familiar with was very subtly bouncing her leg. He smiled, remember the day that particular lesson on manners was drilled into the girl's brain.

"It's okay, you can relax now," he said.

The girl sighed in relief, relaxing her body and allowing herself to lean onto the other girl. The older girl let out a chuckle as she adjusted herself so the two could sit together comfortably. He looked up, seeing even his maid unable to resist a smile once the _formal_ atmosphere was dispersed.

"Forgive the formalities," the maid said, looking at the older girl. "If the others don't think this is important or official business, they'll be more tempted to eavesdrop."

The girl raised an eyebrow. "More tempted?"

"Curiosity is a hard curse to cure."

The ginger resting on her shoulder giggled. "I wonder where I've heard that before."

"I may have said it to you before, Honoka-sama."

"It sounds more like she's the reason the phrase exists," the girl joked.

"Hey, Kotori-chan that's mean," Honoka pouted, earning a peck on the cheek from Kotori.

The maid chuckled before turning to the King. "The room should be soundproofed now," she informed.

"Thank you Clare," he nodded to his maid. Then he turned to the two girls. "So, what is it you wanted to talk about?"

"Ah, right." Honoka looked up to Kotori. "Maybe it's easier to show him first?"

"Probably," Kotori agreed.

Honoka sat up straight and held her hands together in front of her. After a few moments, a little flame was born above her palms. Both Clare's and the King's eyes widened in surprise. They were expecting the golden flame that characterized the holy magic they used, not the mix of black, purple, and yellow that was floating above Honoka's hands.

"This is how both of our magic is like now," Kotori said. "Also, both of us get these strange feelings, almost like we can feel each other's thoughts and emotions."

The King didn't respond right away. He just sat quietly in thought, his face turning to a neutral expression. The girls were forced to sit quietly and wait, hoping he'll have the answers they're looking for.

"How long has this been happening?" he asked evenly.

"About… five or so days now?" Honoka said unsurely.

"It had happened in the battle with my mother. So that's about right," Kotori confirmed.

"Asriel? Did she have something to do with this?" The King asked.

Kotori shook her head. "No. Well, not directly. She tried to steal away Honoka's magic, but she didn't do anything at the time it happened. It all started happening when…"

"When we kissed…" Honoka finished, bringing a hand to her lips.

"I see…" The King said, taking in the new information.

"Father, do you know anything about this?"

He nodded. "I do, but I have no personal experiences with this. The most I can do is offer you information."

"That's fine," Kotori said. "Anything at all will be helpful."

He nodded again, but didn't speak right away. A let out a long sigh, allowing one final moment to compose himself before he began.

"Well, your magic has fused together, although it's different from the magic bond that your mother and I share. As you've started to notice, some of your senses are started to link together. It seems like you'll be able to communicate with each other telepathically soon. If the link develops far enough, you'll be able to read each other's emotions and even hear their thoughts. I take it you also received a pair of items at the time, correct?"

Both girls nodded. Then as if on cue, Honoka's rapier and Kotori's sword materialized in midair and fell onto their laps. The older two studied the matching weapons, the mix of orange, green, and black that decorated the hilts and sun with feathers engraved in both blades.

"Interesting," the King commented. "Anyway, as far as your magic goes, those will be the key to everything. Using them for your magic should have some interesting effects."

There was a pause, where the girls expected the King to give examples. After none came, Honoka broke the silence. "…Like?"

"Sorry, but that's really all that is known. Something like this has only happened once before, and that was over a thousand years ago. Everything I've told you is rumors that have been passed down throughout time."

"Oh, I see."

"Thank you, though," Kotori said. "It gives us something to work with now."

The King nodded. "You're welcome. Maybe you'll be able to discover more about this bond yourselves."

"We could use the training halls," Honoka suggested to Kotori.

"Sure, but maybe later?" Kotori asked.

"Whatever you like."

Just then there was knocking on the door. The pattern immediately let everyone but Kotori know who it was on the other side. "Come in," the King called.

The door opened and Remilia slipped into the room with Ally. Kotori noted that despite having just finished a fight with Maki, Remilia appeared as if nothing happened. She maintained her usual beauty and grace. Remilia was met with expectant looks as she reached the desk.

"Looks like we have a new addition to the family," she said with a smile.

Honoka reacted almost instantly, a big smile on her face as she looked to Kotori. "Come on, let's go congratulate Maki!" she exclaimed. Honoka was on her feet and had pulled Kotori off the couch before Kotori had a chance to respond. The next thing she knew she was already at the door leaving the room.

"I'm glad there are still some habits she hasn't grown out of," the King said with a chuckle.

"Agreed. It's nice to know that no matter how much she grows, she's still the same little girl we know and love."

Remilia turned back to the desk, seeing a smirk on her husband's face. "So, you lost?"

She was smirking back. "Don't be silly, dear. I don't lose to anyone outside of this family."

"But Maki is part of this family now, is she not?"

"… You know what I meant."

"I'm afraid not. Would you mind explaining?"

Remilia crossed her arms. "Don't mock me."

"Oh, so that's where the girls get that adorable pout of theirs."

_Hmph_ was the only response that followed as Remilia turned away. She tried to look seriously upset, but the laughter from her husband told her he wasn't fooled. The next thing she knew, a body was pressed against her back and arms wrapped around her waist. The small bit of embarrassment she felt from stumbling over her own words disappeared immediately as she relaxed in the hug.

"Come on, there's still a lot of work to finish and I'd like to finish quickly," the King said.

"Oh? Why the rush?"

"Don't you want to get to know our new girls soon?"

"You know I do," Remilia chuckled. "Alright, let's get to work."

* * *

"So, have you started on the preparations?" Remilia asked.

Maria nodded. "I've gotten all of Kotori and Maki's measurements and have written up all the requests. They just need your seals."

"Excellent. That means we should start getting all your new clothes and accessories starting tomorrow," the Queen said to Kotori and Maki, who both nodded in response.

"Then that brings us to why we called you all here before dinner," the King spoke next. "Maki, if you don't mind, we'll start with you first."

"Okay," Maki responded. "Is this about my adoption?"

The King nodded. "Is there anything about it that you would like to discuss first?"

"Well… I just have one question. Do I have to change my name?"

The others gathered all looked at Maki, surprised. "No, it isn't required that you take on our family name," the King answered, his expression mostly unchanged. "Why do you ask?"

"Since my parents died while I was really young, I don't really have any memory of them. But I've heard from others of their accomplishments as researchers. My name is the last reminder I have of them and their legacy."

"I see. So you would like to keep your family name, then?" Maki only nodded in response. "As you've seem to given this a lot of thought, who am I to try and convince you otherwise? You can keep the Nishikino name."

"Thank you," Maki said as she bowed her head.

"Well I guess the next thing to talk about after that is your presentation."

"P-presentation?" Maki repeated, getting a little nervous.

"Yes. Once everything else for your adoption is taken care of, the last step is to show you as our daughter to the rest of the kingdom."

"Don't worry," Remilia said, seeing Maki's worry. "Your presentation doesn't have to be right away. You and Kotori will need to go through a few lessons until you're both ready for that kind of attention."

"Oh, okay," Maki sighed with relief.

Remilia chuckled. "Well, they're both very big events, so we must prepare accordingly. There are also certain standards we have to uphold as the Royal Family, and the same will be expected of you two as you join us. No offense."

Kotori shrugged. "I understand. It would be a lie to say I would make a fitting noble with the way I am now."

"You two aren't that far off," Honoka said reassuringly. "Just a small thing here and there."

A knocking on the door halted their conversation. The king looked over to the two maids for one of them to open the door. As she did, two familiar figures walked in.

"Pardon the interruption," the blond girl in front said.

"Eli! Rin!" Honoka exclaimed happily.

Rin smiled and silently waved in greeting, while Eli just smiled and nodded before quickly returning her attention back to the King and Queen.

"We investigated the village as requested," Eli reported.

"Excellent. And did you find anything out?"

Eli nodded. "Just like many of the reports have said, the village was left in ruins and there were no survivors to be found. Also, we believe we found out what was responsible."

"I see… and what do you think is the cause?"

"Well, judging by the marks left on the ground and on the buildings, we believe it to be a dragon. The fact that a dragon was even this far away from Strahta already makes it an unusual dragon, but the size of the claw marks appear to be from an ancient dragon. We only know of one dragon that has been this far out in recent times…"

In the very short pause between sentences, the atmosphere in the room tensed greatly. Everyone seemed to know where Eli was going, but no one wanted to hear it still.

"I believe that the ancient dragon Niadra destroyed the village."

* * *

**Hey everyone, nobodD here!**

**Pretty short chapter, or at least it feels pretty short. We slow down the action so we can learn a bit more about some of the big points for this arc, namely Kotori and Honoka's bond. No secret now that they're about to set off on another adventure. So they're going to have to figure everything out without the safety of the castle to make mistakes. How will that go, and what troubles will they face?**

**To explain a little bit about Maki's bit in the second scene. I actually never intended for her to change her last name. But then people mentioned "Kousaka Maki" and I realized I needed to clarify that. Haha woops, slipped my mind a little.**

**No lie, it was really fun writing that small interaction in the middle for the Kousaka parents. I should have done more of that while we were still in the castle, but oh well X3 Also, guess who we're going to be seeing again soon! Time to pick up the pace a little bit, hopefully X3**

**One last thing. I mentioned this in my reply to lychee-ran, but I'll ask everyone else as well. I'm thinking of creating a character bio page. It'll be the first "chapter" before the prologue, and be pretty brief character descriptions relative to this story. It will be updated as more is learned about the characters, so it'll only show the info of what's been shown so far. Would you guys like something like that or no?**

**Hope to hear responses and hope to see you next time~**


	26. Relations

***Disclaimer: I do NOT own Love Live!**

* * *

"Bye Mother," Honoka said as she embraced Remilia.

"Bye sweetie," Remilia returned, holding her daughter tightly. It was a little while before they finally let each other go. "Hurry back, okay?"

"Don't worry, I'll have her back safe and sound before you know it," Maria said.

"I know you will," Remilia replied, smiling. "Now come here."

As soon as Remilia held her arms out, Maria ran up to embrace her. Like with Honoka, the two prolonged it for a while before they finally let go. After, Remilia rested a hand on each girl's shoulder, her face turning serious.

"I'm counting on you two. Keep each other safe, keep everyone else safe. Understood?" Both girls nodded, causing the Queen to smile. "Good. And remember, have fun! You're going to be seeing more of the world with your loved ones, so enjoy it a little."

Both girls' cheeks turned slightly red at the idea, causing Remilia to chuckle. As the Queen continued with some last-minute words to the two girls, some of their friends watched from the bottom of the castle steps.

"I didn't realize Maria and Remilia were that close," Kotori said.

"A little after Maria was born, her parents went missing," the King said. "Her father was Ally's brother, so we brought Maria here right away. Normally, maids aren't personally assigned to Royal Family members until both are over a certain age. But because Maria was from Ally's family, we made Maria Honoka's personal maid right away, despite that they were both babies."

"Really? Just like that?" Maki asked.

The King nodded. "They've served and protected our family for generations. Ally even expertly stopped two assassination attempts on Remilia only a few weeks after our marriage. Because of that, she had no doubts in her mind about Maria being Honoka's maid. The two girls were inseparable, and Remilia gladly chose to raise both of them. Maria became like another daughter and Honoka's sister because of all this."

Kotori and Maki didn't respond. They gazed at Maria, quietly taking in what they just learned about their friend. A pair of footsteps behind them caused the three to turn around.

"Preparations are finished," Eli announced. "We're ready to leave at any time."

Kotori nodded, then turned back to the top of the steps. "Honoka!"

The three at the top of the steps all turned at once. "Coming!" Honoka called before she turned back to Remilia. As the three exchanged one last goodbye hug with the Queen, the King took his chance to say one last thing to the girls around him.

"Remember, your first priority is to investigate the village and the immediate area around it. Be on the lookout for anything you might have missed, then look around the area for any leads on whatever creature destroyed the village. Once you discover its identity, you're free to handle the situation in any way you see fit."

Eli nodded. "Understood."

"Is everything ready?" Honoka asked as she and Maria appeared beside the King.

"Yup," Rin answered. "We're just waiting for you."

Honoka nodded. Then she turned to her father. "We'll be leaving then, father."

"You sure I can't change your mind still?" He asked, already knowing the answer.

"Sorry father, but I have to go. You understand, right?"

"I know, but it doesn't hurt to try." The King wrapped his arms around Honoka and hugged her tightly. "Make me proud out there."

Honoka hugged back tightly as well. "I will."

Once they were done, Maria stepped forward and embraced the King. While they didn't say anything, he hugged the maid as tightly and as long as she held Honoka. Once they were both done, the two finally made it to the bottom of the castle steps to join their friends. Honoka gave a little hop off the last step to land next to Kotori. Together the group started walking away from the castle.

"So I take it things went well with the King and Queen?" Eli asked.

Honoka nodded. "They were surprisingly accepting of it all. There are a few requirements for Kotori-chan to meet before anything is made public. But otherwise, we have their approval." She looked at Kotori beside her. "And we're engaged."

"Engaged?" Eli echoed. "You don't think that's rushing things a bit?"

"Maybe under normal circumstances it is," Kotori admitted. "But we have reason to believe everything will work out fine."

"Well, I'm glad everything has worked out so far," Rin said, offering a smile to the pair. "And I'll try to support you in any way I can."

"You have my support as well," Eli added. "And the rest of the Cygnus Knights if needed."

"Thank you, you two," Honoka said.

"So… is there anything else you'd like to tell us?"

"Honoka tilted her head. "Eh? What do you mean?"

"You two seem a little… distant from each other," Rin answered.

Both Kotori and Honoka gave her a confused look. Rin opened and closed her mouth a few times, unable to explain. She made some gesture with her hands, which didn't help explain anything at all. Finally Maki spoke up to help the struggling Knight.

"Usually you two would be holding hands or something by now."

Kotori blinked once or twice, letting the sentence sink in. She realized Maki had a point. Honoka was openly affectionate with her, usually holding her hand, or more commonly latching herself onto Kotori's arm. Kotori couldn't help but feel a little empty at the realization. She definitely would like that to be happening right now, rather than Honoka keeping her hands folded in front of her.

"Ah, that. Now's not the time for that," was Honoka's response.

To say that answer surprised her friends was an understatement. Looking at how Honoka acted with Kotori in the short time after their confession, it was the last thing they thought they would hear from the affectionate princess.

"Princess!"

Their thoughts were interrupted at the unfamiliar voice. The group stopped as they were approached by two girls. One was small and looked about five or six, while the other looked to be in her early teens. Honoka moved a few more steps forward from the group as the younger girl came running forward. She managed to stop herself right in front of Honoka without losing control and flying forward into the princess.

"Ah, it really is the Princess!" she exclaimed, both her voice and her innocent eyes gleaming with excitement.

"Cassy, mind your manners!" the older girl berated the child as she caught up. Once she reached them, she bowed to Honoka before reaching a hand to pull the younger girl back a few steps. "I'm so sorry about this, Princess."

Honoka chuckled. "It's quite alright. I know she didn't mean anything bad, right?"

"Yup!" Cassy agreed enthusiastically.

"You're as kind as ever," the older girl said, relaxing a bit knowing they weren't going to get into some kind of trouble. "It's rare for you to be allowed out of the castle. Are you on official business?"

"Yes… It's about the village that was recently destroyed."

"The one on the outskirts of the continent?"

Honoka nodded. "I'm on my way to investigate the area."

"Y-you are?" the girl stuttered. Worry was evident in her voice, as well as Cassy whose smile faded upon hearing the explanation. "But… wasn't it some powerful and ancient monster that caused it?"

"Possibly. We're on our way to find out."

"A-are you sure? It sounds very dangerous."

"Not to worry. I have a very capable group accompanying me."

Honoka made a gesture to her friends behind her. The two girls in front of her looked, quickly studying the group tasked with guarding their beloved princess. Seeing two knights helped ease their worries slightly. Seeing Maria helped a lot, given the maid's own reputation. And while they couldn't categorize the remaining two, they trusted the princess's word about their capabilities.

"I see…" The older girl looked back to Honoka. "But still, do you really have to go as well?"

Honoka couldn't help but smile. "I appreciate all of your concern. But as you have guessed before, this is official business. This poses a threat to the entire nation. It's our duty not just to govern you, but to protect as well."

Silence followed as Honoka's words sank in, not just for the two girls but for her friends as well. After a few moments, the older girl nodded.

"Alright. I would still rather have you stay in Zenethra, but I understand your decision." She bowed, followed by Cassy. "Also, thank you for thinking about our safety."

"It's my pleasure. Now, I don't think I've caught your name yet."

The girl's face flushed. "A-ah, right. I'm-"

"Alyss! Cassy!"

Once again, everyone present looked in the direction of the new voice. A woman that looked very much like the two girls in front of Honoka made her way over.

"Mommy!" Cassy exclaimed as she ran up to the woman to hug her.

"Ah, Princess," the woman said as she reached where Honoka and Alyss were standing. Like Alyss had done, she bowed before continuing. "I hope my children weren't causing you too much trouble."

"There was no trouble at all," Honoka replied, smiling.

"That's a relief. So, what brings you out of the castle, your highness?"

It took a bit of effort for Honoka to resist the urge to let out a tired sigh. That address was just a little too formal for her liking, even if she was in public. _Princess_ she could handle, as it was her title. But _your highness_ or _your majesty_ were terms that separated their positions just a little too much in Honoka's opinion. Thanks to Remilia, Honoka still knew better than to say anything about it. They were just showing their respect, after all.

As Honoka began to once again explain what she had just told Alyss, the others remained where they were a little ways back, having been watching the scene play out with increasing interest. Especially Kotori, who felt every part of the short internal struggle Honoka had.

"You know, Honoka-sama probably knew something like this would happen," Maria said in a low voice so only the four around her could hear.

"Knowing her more personally, it's sometimes easy to forget that she's still a princess," Kotori admitted.

"I don't think anyone knows her quite as personally as you do," Eli couldn't help saying.

Kotori gave her a look. "Being friends with her, is that better?"

Eli chuckled. "Sure. But I do agree with you. There are times when Honoka-sama doesn't act like a princess at all."

"The people here really seem to care a lot about her, though," Maki said, noticing the woman making the same worried face her children had made earlier.

"Well, Honoka-sama is well loved by all of Zenethra," Maria revealed.

"Really? Why's that?" Rin asked.

"Well normally the Royal Family doesn't leave the castle, except for special occasions. As low as any type of crime is in Zenethra, it's still a risk for them to be outside the castle walls. Although after finishing all of my training, the King told me Honoka-sama was allowed to explore the town if she wanted, as long as I was with her and never left her side. Of course, Honoka-sama was beyond excited when I told her. So on days when she didn't have lessons with the Queen, and when I didn't do some kind of training, we would visit the town."

"How often was that?" Maki asked.

"At first, we went frequently. But as Honoka-sama got older, and the Queen had more and more lessons for her, our adventures became less and less frequent. Still, it was enough for her to gain a reputation within the city. After all, no other member of the Royal Family came out to visit Zenethra's citizens as much as Honoka-sama did. And especially with her personality, there's no way people wouldn't love her. Of course, not the same _love_ you two share," Maria finished with a smirk toward Kotori.

Kotori sighed at being teased again. "You said the King waited until after you finished your training. How long ago was that?"

Maria took a moment to think about the answer. "We were still seven at the time, I believe. So… eleven years ago?"

"Wow," Maki said, impressed. "Her parents really did trust you with her life."

"I-is that what he said to you all earlier?" Maria tried ignoring the slight heat in her cheeks.

"Did you run into any trouble when you two went into town?" Rin asked.

"Only until Maria showed people that she wasn't one to ever cross."

The five looked up at the familiar voice. They saw Honoka had rejoined them, with the three citizens already gone. Again, Kotori felt Honoka having to fight off a very strong urge inside of her, one that Kotori could relate to this time.

"Oh? What happened?" Rin asked, excited and curious.

"Just made this small gang regret thinking they could capture me and that Maria couldn't stop them." Honoka couldn't help but smirk as she recalled the memory. "Least to say, being bested by a ten-year-old girl in the middle of one of the city squares was a very important lesson for those five men. Maria gained quite the reputation for it as well."

"H-Honoka-sama…" Maria was uncharacteristically losing her composure once more from all the sudden praise.

"What, it's true. We never had any trouble ever again after that, and you were treated like a princess yourself by everyone in Zenethra. And-"

"I think it's time to get going," Maria interrupted, quickly getting up and started walking, dragging Honoka with her. The others exchanged amused looks before following the two.

As they continued down the main road on the way out of the city, the things they learned about Honoka and Maria became more and more apparent. They had stopped a few more times as Zenethra citizens had come up to greet Honoka, and some even recognizing Maria. Each time they showed concern for the princess and her maid, though eventually reaffirming their trust in the duo.

"You know, this is probably why she decided not to wear a disguise this time," Eli said during one of these stops. "It seems she enjoys interacting with her people just as much as her people enjoy getting a chance to speak with her."

Kotori, Rin, and Maki couldn't help but agree with Eli's observation. Despite Kotori feeling Honoka flinch inside whenever she was too formally addressed, Honoka had her same genuine smile and laugh that her friends had gotten used to.

"She'll make a great queen one day," Kotori thought out loud.

Finally the group had made it out of the city. Honoka waited until they were far from sight from the outskirts of Zenethra before finally letting herself relax.

"Appearances are so hard to keep sometimes," she said with a very dramatic sigh.

"And why would you need to be keeping up an appearance?" Maki asked.

"There are certain ways we're expected to act while in public. And while most aren't much of a problem, some of them are tedious to follow."

"Like?"

Honoka smiled. She grabbed hold of Kotori's arm and hugged it tightly, resting her head on Kotori's shoulder. "Like not showing affection because our announcement hasn't been made yet."

"Oh, so that's why," Kotori said jokingly. "I thought you were embarrassed about being with me."

Honoka's only response was a pronounced _Hmph_, which got everyone to laugh. As subtly as she could, Honoka slowed her and Kotori's pace so that they were a little bit behind the others.

"I agree with you," Honoka said, barely loud enough for Kotori to hear. "I know I'll become a worthy queen one day. And do you know why?"

Kotori didn't think it was possible for Honoka to hug her arm any tighter, but that's exactly what Honoka did. Kotori looked over, her eyes meeting with Honoka's.

"Because I'll have you rule alongside me."

"A little cliché, don't you think?" Kotori couldn't help but joke.

"Hey, you got to say your lame joke, so I'm allowed a cliché line."

"… It wasn't that lame."

"It was pretty lame, Kotori-chan."

In rhythm, Honoka tiptoed slightly so that their lips could meet for a quick kiss while they continued to walk. They fell into comfortable silence as they listened to Rin talking about something she thought was interesting while she and Eli were traveling by themselves. Kotori wasn't really paying much attention to it though. She was more focused on the warmth that had been missing from her, or specifically around her arm, since they had left the castle, along with a new thought.

_Ruling the country, huh? Maybe I could get used to this._

* * *

**Hey everyone, nobodD here!**

**Sorry for another long wait between updates. I've honestly been lacking in motivation recently. A lot has happened the last few weeks, so I took couple steps back and thought a lot the last few days. I won't bore you all with details, just letting you know I'm still around.**

**Anyways~ Just a short backstory chapter on Honoka and Maria's lives growing up. There have been a couple questions about characters here and there, and while I am still going to do character bios, I thought I'd do a bit more story-telling here. I know it's not a major update, especially considering the wait, but I hope it's still interesting either way. For those curious, we'll be seeing some familiar faces again soon.**

**Hope to see you back next chapter~**


	27. Reunion

***Disclaimer: I do NOT own Love Live!**

* * *

Kotori carefully scanned along the ground and walls. She looked for what Eli and Rin told her they had already found, and looked to see if there were any new marks. Patterns on the walls, cracks on the floor, everything was the same as how they Knights had described. There was nothing out of the ordinary. With a semi-defeated sigh, Kotori turned away from the area she had been inspecting and walked toward the center of the ruined village.

"Did you find anything?" Rin asked as Kotori walked toward them.

Kotori shook her head. "Nothing noteworthy. Everything was exactly as you described it would be."

"Same with the area I searched," Maria reported.

"Not one thing out of place," Maki added.

"Hmm, so we have nothing new to work with then," Eli concluded.

Kotori looked at everyone gathered. "Hey, where's-"

"Umm, you all might want to take a look at this," came Honoka's voice.

All five turned to see Honoka walking up to them with something held carefully between her hands. It appeared to be a small piece of paper with some strange marks on it.

"What's that?" Rin couldn't help but ask.

Honoka shook her head. "I'm not sure."

"It looks kind of like Maria's spell cards," Maki said.

"Really?" Maria pulled out a card and compared them. "You're right, there are some similarities."

"I wonder what this could mean," Eli said, already trying to come up with answers.

The sound of a branch snapping interrupted them. They all turned toward the source and saw a wolf running up to them. It closed the distance to them before any could react. But no attack ever came. Instead, the wolf managed to break all its momentum and stop right in front of Honoka. It stared up at the princess, and Honoka stared back. It took only a few seconds before it clicked in Honoka's mind.

"Mimi!" she exclaimed.

"Huh?" Kotori asked, though they were all confused.

"Look at the pattern on her fur," Honoka pointed out.

"It does look familiar now that you mention it," Maria admitted. "But how can you be sure-"

"Wait up Mimi!" a new voice called out.

They all looked in the direction the wolf had just come from in time to see a familiar face appear from the tree line.

"Mimi, where are-" the purple-haired girl started before she looked at the others.

"Nozomi-chan!" Honoka exclaimed.

"Hello everyone," Nozomi said. As she did, three more figures emerged from the forest behind her.

"It's Umi, Nico, and Hanayo as well," Maki said as she recognized each of them.

"It's nice to see you all again," Hanayo greeted. "I wasn't expecting this to be how we reunite."

"True, but you have to admit it's pretty fitting," Rin said.

"Speaking of fitting, you look more like a princess than when we first met," Nico said to Honoka.

"Eheh, umm, thanks?" Honoka said, unsure how to interpret the comment.

"Why are you dressed like that?" Umi asked. "Do you not have to disguise yourself anymore?"

Honoka shook her head. "I was only disguised the first time because I didn't want my parents to find out that I left the castle. This time though, I'm on official business."

"All the way out here?" Nico asked.

"Many of the citizens are troubled by what happened to this village," Eli explained. "As much as Honoka's family or the Knights can try to reassure them, the only thing that will put them at ease is to find out what attacked this village and put an end to it."

"So you're here looking for any clues about who or what did this?" Nozomi asked.

"We think it was the dragon Niadra," Rin answered. "However, the King wants us to do one more search just in case we missed anything important."

"Right now, the only thing we found that we missed the first time was… whatever this thing is," Eli said, gesturing to what Honoka was holding.

"It looks like a ward or barrier," Hanayo observed. When she was met with nine blank stares she explained further. "Before, people would use these to protect their towns against monsters. When they discovered a better way to maintain barriers to cover even Zenethra, the new barrier system was invented and these became obsolete."

"So this is what a ward looks like," Honoka said, looking at the paper in her hands. "I always imagined they were in a different form."

"There wasn't the same technology before as there was today. Besides, I'm still not completely sure if I'm right either. I can't read the markings."

"I think I've seen markings like that somewhere in Strahta," Nozomi said.

"Strahta was the last nation to convert to the barrier system," Honoka said. "Do you think it's possible that they still had these lying around?"

"Could be," Eli said. "Either way, it looks like we finally have a lead."

"So, what's our next move going to be then?" Maria asked.

"How about we leave it up to the princess here?"

"Eh? Me?"

"Well, you're the one in charge. We're just your escort, remember?"

"I… I suppose that's true. Hmm…" Honoka's eyes closed as she went into thought. A few seconds later she nodded to herself, then looked back to everyone. "Well since it's our only lead, I say we follow it to Strahta."

"Why am I not surprised that that would be her decision?" Maki asked with a smile.

"That's our princess for you," Maria said.

"Eheh…"

"Hey, mind if we tag along?" Hanayo asked.

"Eh? Are you sure?" Honoka asked.

"Well whether or not Niadra did this like you all think, you're probably going to go up against some powerful monster. Having a little extra firepower wouldn't hurt." Hanayo looked at her recent travel companions. "Right?"

"She's right," Umi agreed. "Count me in."

"Us, too!" Nozomi said for her and Mimi.

"Don't forget me," Nico added with wink.

"I guess that means the group is back together again," Kotori said with a smile.

"Right. Next stop, Strahta!" Honoka cheered.

Honoka's cheer was met with nine more. Then together the group turned for the direction of Capua Nor.

* * *

"It's so nice to be out at sea again," the princess said with a pleasant sigh.

"You say that like you're an old sailor or something," the young mage teased jokingly.

"Hehe, but you have to admit there's a certain charm to this," the healer compromised.

"Yeah, there's nothing quite like this," the mage agreed.

There was a moment of silence before all three broke into laughter. As they calmed down and their laughter died away, Honoka, Maki, and Hanayo continued to lean on the railing of the ship as they gazed out to the sea. Kotori watched them with an amused smile, enjoying their silly antics and glad that the three were enjoying themselves. She watched them for a few more seconds before turning her attention back to the others sitting with her.

"Adoption, huh? Quite a crazy idea you came up with there," Nico said after hearing Maria finish explaining the events in the castle. Of course, she left out some of the more personal details.

"It's quite unexpected," Nozomi agreed. "However, I think it's very fitting."

"It would seem so," Eli said. "Maki seemed pretty happy when she was talking about it earlier."

"So, anything interesting happen with you after we split up?" Rin asked.

Nozomi shook her head. "Hanayo showed us around Izolle, which was interesting. Otherwise, nothing really eventful happened."

"My siblings are currently living in Hamil," Nico said. "It's a lot calmer for them, and there's even a school."

"I guess that explains why we didn't see them back at Capua Nor," Kotori said.

"That's good for them," Maria said. "Sounds like they've been doing fine since we first left.

Just then Honoka, Maki, and Hanayo returned from their spot near the edge of the ship to the others. Honoka sat on the same chair as Kotori, while Maki and Hanayo took the last two empty seats. Mimi in cat form had been resting on Nozomi's lap, but as soon as Honoka sat down Mimi went right to the princess, who gladly welcomed her onto her shared seat.

"So, what's our plan when we get to Strahta?" Rin asked.

Honoka shook her head. "We really need to prepare, though. From what I hear, even the most experienced travelers have trouble making it halfway through the Strahta Desert."

"That's just because they think they're ready for it and rush in carelessly," Nozomi said.

"Then that's even more reason to be plan now and be prepared when we get there," Eli said.

"Have you been through the desert before, Nozomi? Kotori asked.

"No. I never had a reason to explore the desert before and put myself in that kind of condition."

"It's sounding more and more like just wandering around the Strahta Desert is becoming our only option," Maria said.

"Well, there's one thing I could try when we get there," Maki suggested. She looked to the healer. "Though, I might need your help with it, Hanayo."

"What are you going to try?" Hanayo asked curiously.

"The big issue about the desert is the heat, right? Strahta is protected from the heat because the barrier system allows them to adjust the weather within the barrier to a certain extent. Maybe we could do something similar with water and barrier magic."

"Do you think that can really work?" Umi asked.

"I… I'm not sure," the young mage admitted.

"Well, it can't hurt to try, right?" Hanayo encouraged. "I say we give it a shot."

"Hey, isn't one of Mimi's forms a dragon?" Nico asked. "Why doesn't she scout around the desert first before we go in?"

Nozomi shook her head. "Monsters in the desert each have special traits to help them survive that intense heat. Even with Mimi's ability to shapeshift, she can't copy those properties. She wouldn't be able to fly very far under all those conditions."

"Oh… I see."

"Well, we at least have something to work with now," Eli said. She looked to Maki. "How soon can you and Hanayo start?"

"Well, I can work out some of the details in my head. But we won't be able to do anything until we're off this ship."

"Let's start coming up with ideas then," Hanayo suggested. "We don't have much else we can do until we reach Strahta anyway."

While most of the group started throwing out a wide variety of suggestions for Maki's idea, Kotori sat quietly and relaxed. But almost as soon as she did, she started feeling strange, like something was bothering her. She looked to Honoka and quickly realized it was the princess's worries she was feeling.

"Is something wrong?" Kotori asked quietly for only the two of them to hear.

Honoka didn't answer right away. Kotori could tell the princess was trying to make sense of her thoughts and how to explain them.

"Don't you think this whole thing is… strange?" she finally asked.

"How so?"

"Well… we didn't really find evidence that says Niadra was the one who destroyed that village. Yet, we all just assume it is Niadra's fault."

"Are you saying you know what really destroyed the village then?"

"Ah, well no… but-"

Kotori wrapped her arms around Honoka. "Relax. I understand what you're trying to say. We really have no proof that it was Niadra that did or didn't do it. Unfortunately, we have no other leads. All we can do right now is go along with this and see what happens."

Honoka rested herself on Kotori and sighed. "I suppose you're right."

Mimi decided at that moment to get up from her resting spot on Honoka's lap. The cat nuzzled into Honoka's neck, earning a giggle from the princess.

"Hey, she's mine," Kotori said playfully.

Mimi looked toward Kotori. Although her expression didn't change, Kotori could've sworn she felt like Mimi was smiling at her. Then Mimi crossed the space from Honoka to Kotori and did the same to her, nuzzling against her neck. The ticklish feeling caused Kotori to smile, and Honoka to gasp.

"Kotori-chan how could you?" Honoka said, pretending to be surprised but with a smile she couldn't hold down.

"Hey, if it's okay with you two love-birds, could you save the flirting for later?" Hanayo asked jokingly.

The pair looked over to realize that they had the rest of their group's attention. They both apologized and everyone went back to their discussion over making Maki's idea work. Once again Kotori and Honoka didn't contribute much.

"A little nap couldn't hurt," Kotori said, feeling Honoka was a little tired.

The princess didn't respond, deciding just to shift herself a little to more comfortably rest against Kotori. Not long after the two fell asleep, with Mimi resting between them. Again the group noticed, but decided not to do anything about it. They agreed it was too cute a scene for them to disturb.

* * *

**Hey everyone, nobodD here!**

**Sumimasen! I'm so sorry it took so long to update. I've been in a oneshot mood lately, if you couldn't tell by the last two. I actually want to do one or two more before I do the next chapter for this story, but I'm afraid of the consequences Xp.**

**Aside from the two oneshots taking up two weeks, I've also been busy with work. I've taken a few extra shifts recently, and actually will be taking another extra one later tonight. I'm honestly quite surprised I'm such a workaholic. I'm quite a lazy person usually X3**

**Anyway, just another calm chapter. The party finally reunites and they're already off on another adventure. This time they're going to the desert nation of Strahta. Can Maki's idea work and will they find Niadra and take her down? Or will something else pop up?**

… **Okay that was bad X3 Before I turn more people away, I'll end here and see you next time~**


	28. Air Conditioning

**Quick note: I finally got around to posting the character bios page I said I would a while ago X3 It's only a quick one, just so its finally there. As I've mentioned before, I'll add to it and update in relation to how much is known in the story.**

***Disclaimer: I do NOT own Love Live!**

* * *

The rest of the boat ride to Strahta finished without issue. They landed in Talys, which served as Strahta's port city and capital, and only known city on the continent. As soon as they were off the boat, Nozomi led the group to one of the nicest inn's Talys had to offer. Thankfully the world shared a single currency, or they would've looked for a cheaper alternative. Being the princess she was, Honoka paid for everything herself, refusing to let the others contribute. She wasn't one to spend a huge amount of money on herself, but no amount was too much if it was on her friends.

Conveniently enough, there was one room that was big enough to fit all ten of them. It even had a nice little outdoor area next to it, which Maki and Hanayo were using to work on Maki's spell idea. Meanwhile the others s remained in the room to wait for them while they worked.

"Here you go," Maria said, holding out a pair of water bottles.

"Thanks Maria-chan," Honoka said, taking both and handing one to Kotori, who was sitting on the chair with her. She drank out of her water bottle before letting on a relieved sigh.

"I know that the barrier is moderating the weather somewhat, but it's still a lot hotter than I was expecting," Rin said. Maria walked over to her and held out a water bottle. "Ah, thanks."

"It's just because of how hot the Strahta Desert is," Nozomi explained. "The city's barrier can only do so much to handle it."

"The barriers used for the towns and such were really only meant to hold out monsters," Eli said. "They were never intended to control the weather within its boundaries."

"It's better than nothing," Kotori said. "I can already see why most don't make it that far into the desert."

"Yeah…" Umi said. She looked outside to the working pair. "I wonder how they're doing."

"They hit a little bit of an obstacle the last time I checked," Maria informed. She finished handing out water bottles to everyone in the room. "I'll go check on their progress again."

They watched as Maria slipped out of the sliding door, closing it behind her. Nico waited until she was sure Maria wouldn't suddenly come back in again before speaking.

"Wasn't the only reason she came inside was cause they wanted water?" she asked.

"Hmm? You mean Honoka didn't ask her to get the water?" Rin asked.

Honoka shook her head. "I didn't say anything. She just came in and said she'll get everyone water."

Nozomi chuckled. "I wonder if there's a reason for that."

"You mean… she might like one of them?" Umi asked.

"It would make sense, don't you think? Why else would she be out there even though she's not doing anything?"

_I'm surprised no one seems to have caught yet. Remilia figured Maria and Maki out right away back at the castle,_ Kotori thought to herself. _Hmm, I wonder if we should tell them or not._

"You're just overthinking things," Honoka responded, earning a lot of curious looks from the others. "Even if she isn't doing anything right now, she likes to be nearby and be ready to help at a moment's notice. That's just how she is."

"I suppose that makes sense," Eli said, with the others nodding in agreement.

"Wait, that's it! Maria you're a genius!"

The sudden yelling had surprised the seven of them still indoors. After a moment of exchanging glances with each other, they all decided to get up and take a look outside to see what had gotten the young mage so excited all of a sudden.

_At least it's probably good news,_ they all thought simultaneously without realizing it.

* * *

"Okay… Now I understand how much Talys's barrier was doing to manage the heat…" Rin said.

"Yeah… we're barely outside the barrier and already this heat is too much…" Honoka said.

Normally Kotori or one of the others might have made a comment about Honoka being overly dramatic. But right now they were feeling exactly the same as the princess. They had just left Talys and had only been in the Strahta Desert for a little over a minute, and already the heat was getting to them. It felt about at least five times stronger than anything they had felt before. Nozomi had grown up in Talys, and even she was showing discomfort at the intense desert heat.

"Okay… The moment of truth," Maki said.

Honoka nodded. She reached into her skirt's pocket and pulled out a spell card. It was one of Maria's spare cards that used to be blank, but now had some intricate markings on it in blank ink. Honoka closed her eyes, focusing her magic into the spell card. The black markings started to glow blue, and then half of the markings changed colors again to white. After a couple of moments, a pulse was released from the spell card, shooting a little wind in all directions.

And then the group could no longer feel the intense desert heat.

"It works!" Maki exclaimed, unable to hold back a big smile.

"Great work, you two," Eli said, causing Hanayo to smile as well and both of the young girls to blush a bit from the praise.

"So, how does this work?" Kotori asked.

"It's a mixture of air and water magic with a barrier spell," Maki explained. "A certain air spell and water spell will create an invisible mist when mixed together a certain way, which is helping to counter the heat. The barrier spell is being used to contain the mist in a fixed area around us. Although that means it won't act as a regular barrier and keep out monsters."

"How did figure out you could mix spells?" Nico asked.

"I got the idea from hearing Kotori and Honoka talk about their magic fusing together," Maki answered. "Then I just started mixing different spells together to see what effects would happen."

"Why are you using a spell card for it?" Rin asked.

"Well, barrier spells weren't meant to be mobile. They're only active if you're within the spell's channeling circle. But with the interesting way spell cards interact with magic, we'll be able to maintain this barrier and bring it with us. The only downside is it's very dependent on a constant magic supply. Since Kotori and Honoka share magic, they're the only ones who can sustain that kind of magic cost and still have some to fight, in case we run into monsters."

Eli clapped her hands together once. "Well then, now that we've beaten the heat, let's go find us an ancient dragon."

Although they didn't have to worry about the heat anymore, the group knew it was still going to be a very difficult search. With no knowledge of the desert terrain and no lead to go off of, they took the only other option they had. They picked a random direction and started walking.

For a desert, there were definitely a lot more monsters than any of them were expecting. It was a decent variety of monsters consisting larger, somewhat mutant-looking versions of creatures you would expect to find in a desert. Maki's spell proved to be much more useful for fighting than they were expecting. With bodies that have adapted to the intense desert heat, the monsters were suddenly weakened when within the cooler temperature of the spell's effective zone. With this discovery, Kotori and Honoka would use more magic to power the barrier and push its range out further whenever they encountered monsters.

They were still unsure of where they were right now and where they were going, but they continued onward. Hours had ticked by, and still not much had changed. Umi, Eli, and Rin were constantly looking around them. They looked for prints in the sand, odd terrain, anything that could be a clue to put them on the right track. Every once in a while, Nozomi had Mimi change into a bird and have her fly up to scout for a bit. Kotori and Honoka would expand the barrier vertically whenever Mimi did this so she could safely search from above, yet still they came up empty-handed.

Eventually the sun had set and night settled in. The group had considered continuing their search, but decided against it when they noticed how tired both Kotori and Honoka were from spending so much magic all day. Luckily it was very cool at night, so she didn't have to maintain the spell card anymore until tomorrow. Deciding they were in as good a place as any to stop for the night, they began setting up tents.

"Are you sure you two will be okay for tomorrow?" Maria asked the couple.

"We'll be fine, Maria-chan," Honoka said, managing a smile.

Kotori nodded in agreement. "Just need a little rest is all."

"We'll need to figure out a more effective search method so you two won't have to keep using so much extra magic," Eli said.

"Or get lucky and find Niadra soon," Nico said.

"But we still have no clues to help us track it down," Rin pointed out.

"Uh… girls… what's that?" Maki asked.

Everyone turned to Maki, and then followed where the young mage was pointing. A little off in the distance there was a dust cloud quickly making its way toward them. Umi reacted quickly, enchanting her bow with ice magic and shooting an ice arrow at the approaching cloud. As far as stopping whatever it was that was charging at them, the arrow did its job. Though the target wasn't encased in ice like Umi was expecting. The dust faded away, and they found themselves facing what was basically a giant scorpion.

"What the-?!" Maki started to yell, but was interrupted as Maria lunged toward her. The maid tackled the young mage to the ground just in time to avoid being impaled by the scorpion's stinger.

Already recovering from their initial shock, Eli and Rin launched a counter attack. Eli's scythe was already extended to its combat form, and both of Rin's daggers were in each hand in a flash. Eli leapt forward, raising her scythe over her head and swinging it downward in front of her. The scorpion brought a claw up to block Eli's attack, exactly what the knight wanted. Rin had slid under the monster, quickly bringing both daggers up and stabbing them in the monster. With her momentum, she sliced the bottom of the monster. The scorpion made a sound like it was in pain. Eli jumped back in time as the monster thrashed about momentarily.

The scorpion was about to attack again, but Eli and Rin had already bought enough time. Its advances were instantly stopped by a well-timed barrier by Hanayo. Maria popped a spell card, causing dark chains to appear around the scorpion and immobilize it. Maki further trapped the scorpion with an ice spell. Nico shot one of her pistols, enchanting the bullet with earth magic. The bullet was deflected off the scorpion's shell, but the earth magic did its part. It dented the spot it hit, which was just the spot Nozomi was aiming for as she seemingly dropped from the sky. She drove the spear through the weakened spot, piercing both the monster's shell and body. Nozomi pulled the spear out as quickly as it had entered and did a backflip off the top off the monster to rejoin her friends. As she cleared away from the monster, a pair of magic spears, one yellow and the other black, entered the hole Nozomi had made. With one more cry of pain, the monster dropped to the floor.

"Okay, that was awesome," Kotori said, admiring what they just pulled off.

"It was," Eli agreed. "But still, I thought the monsters in this desert became passive at night."

"All normal monsters do," Nozomi confirmed. "Only special ones, like Niadra, aren't affected by the cooler nighttime temperature."

"Uhm… Eli…" Rin said slowly.

The nervous tone got everyone's attention again just in time to see the scorpion's body turn into sand. It was still in its shape, almost like a sand statue. But before anyone had a chance to react, a quick gust of wind blew through, scattering the sandy remains of the monsters away.

"… I guess now we know that it wasn't a regular monster," Nico said.

"But then, what was it?" Honoka asked. "And why did it suddenly attack us?"

* * *

**Hey everyone, nobodD here!**

**So, fight scenes continue to be hard for me to write. And when I finally got through it, it turned out to be very short… Haha.**

**Anyway, it's been a lot of "story" the last few chapters, but now we'll finally get to see some more action. We'll also **_**finally**_** start developing the relationships for the other 3 pairs, and deepen our existing two further. Yes, we'll get more of the romance out of this half-romance story, aside from the little fluff here and there.**

**The party was once again ambushed by a unique monster. But why did it attack them? And will they be able to find Niadra soon?**

**Hopefully you're getting interested in this story again, because I really hope to see you next time~**


	29. Mirage

**Dash24zappshift: You know, I wasn't thinking about Ashe at all, but now that you mention it, that's an amazing comparison X3**

***Disclaimer: I do NOT own Love Live!**

* * *

Although Hanayo had put up a barrier for the night, the group was still worried of something else trying to attack them at night. To their interesting luck, there were no other disturbances, and they got to sleep through the night.

There was no mistaking when it was morning. Their tents did little to protect against the dessert heat, and they were more or less forced to get up or suffer tragic consequences. Honoka activated the spell card again while the others collapsed their tents and packed everything away.

Just like the previous day, their search this morning produced no results either. Despite not having eaten anything since they woke up, they were still willing to continue onward. They felt fine just eating a few snacks here and there. They had also acquired a good amount of food from defeating monsters. They decided that they would stop to cook a real meal for themselves once they found a spot that was mostly clear of monsters so they could rest without interruption.

They weren't expecting to find a place like that so soon, especially a place such as the one they stumbled upon.

"I wasn't expecting to discover an oasis of all things," Maki said, enjoying the cool sensation as she kicked her feet through the water.

"Considering our luck, this could have easily been just a mirage," Rin said, her legs also dipped in the refreshing water.

"This feels amazing after the last two days," Umi said, sighing happily.

"I just can't wait for Maria-chan and Hanayo-chan's cooking," Honoka said, looking over to where the two were currently preparing the food. "We haven't had a proper meal since yesterday morning."

"It's not like we've had much time for it," Nico said. "We've been searching almost the entire time we've been in the dessert."

"We've also had to keep moving because of the monsters," Eli added. "It's lucky this place seems to keep them away so we have some breathing room."

"I wonder why that is, though," Kotori said, looking around. "It doesn't look like there's anything keeping them out."

"We should probably be careful," Nozomi suggested. "After all, we don't really know what to expect out here."

"Well, you all can worry about that," Maki said, slipping off her top. "I'm going to go further into the water. Want to come, Honoka?"

Honoka nodded, then slipped her own top off and handed it to Kotori. Then the two slipped themselves into the water before making their way toward the center.

"… I'm going to go check on how the food is doing," Kotori said, standing up.

"You don't mean to tell me that this is your first time seeing her this bare," Nozomi said with a smirk, noticing Kotori struggling to keep a neutral expression.

Kotori only glared at her for a moment before turning to make her way over to where Maria and Hanayo were set up. She heard a couple of giggles as she walked off, making her sigh while shaking her head. Not one of her better moments, she thought. She dropped Honoka's shirt off by their bags before finally reaching the cooking couple. Maria looked up, a curious look on her face at seeing the traces of red from Kotori's cheeks.

"You should take a look at your girlfriend," Kotori said to the maid.

Maria raised an eyebrow. "What are you-"

But she instantly stopped when she caught sight of Maki. The maid's face flushed almost instantly, which amused Kotori considering how well Maria usually composed herself. Curious by Maria suddenly stopping and now Kotori chuckling, Hanayo looked up as well.

"Hmm, Maria-chan likes Maki-chan?" the healer asked.

"N-n-not at all. Why would you even think that?" Maria stammered out.

Kotori had to fight off the urge to burst into laughter. Hanayo let out a small chuckle.

"I guess it isn't too surprising for Maria-chan to be a tsundere."

"W-what's that supposed to mean?"

Her two conversation partners could no longer control themselves and started laughing. Even if the maid wanted to be upset with them, her current embarrassment was too much. She buried her face in her hands, unsure of what else to do aside from uselessly try to hide her embarrassment.

A loud voice got the three's attention. They looked over and noticed the oasis water was starting to glow. It didn't look bright because of the bright sunlight, but it was glowing green. Instinctively the three ran over as quick as they could to the others.

"What's going on?" Kotori asked.

"I… can't move… my legs," Rin said as she struggled in place, only able to move her upper body.

"It feels like I'm being drained," Eli said.

"Hey, something's moving in the water," Nozomi said, pointing.

As if on cue, the shadowy figure that Nozomi had noticed broke through the surface of the water. It was a little surprising to them how something as big as this creature was able to hide in such a small body of water. Though what surprised them more was just exactly what the creature was.

"A dragon?" Kotori asked in disbelief.

"Wait… is that Niadra?" Maria asked.

But she wouldn't get an answer. The dragon screamed, and slowly its body started glowing blue. Kotori felt magic building up around it and realized that it was about to use some kind of magic attack. She unsheathed her sword, wanting to try and strike before the dragon got a chance to attack. She started to build up her magic, her familiar spell circle starting to form on the ground beneath her.

Before Kotori even got a chance to think of a spell to use, her magic suddenly disappeared.

"W-what…"

With time to finish, the dragon breathed out an ice attack. Hanayo managed to react in time, bringing out her staff to cast a barrier to protect them. The ground shook a bit as the spell hit the barrier, but not enough to knock Maria, Kotori, or Hanayo down. Hanayo got ready to deflect another attack, but the dragon turned around. They were confused for a moment before horror immediately sunk in.

Honoka and Maki were still further in the water.

The dragon tried to fly toward the two, but was met by a magic wall made by Hanayo. Enraged, the dragon turned back around. It didn't glow blue this time but they all felt it gather even more magic than before. This time as the attack hit Hanayo's barrier, the force knocked Kotori and Maria down and even knocked Hanayo backwards. Seemingly satisfied, the dragon turned back around to the two young girls.

Maria was quick to get back up. She looked around, not liking what she saw. Not only did the force of the dragon's attack knock Hanayo down, but it even knocked her staff out of her hands as well. She was sure she didn't have time to see if Kotori got her magic back, and it seemed like the others were still trapped in the water. Maria could assume that touching the water would be bad. But the dragon was now close to its prey, and she had no time to think of a way to save them. In desperation, she leapt forward.

For Honoka and Maki, time seemed to freeze as the dragon's second attack connected. It was unsettling for them to see the three knocked over despite Hanayo's barrier. And then the dragon turned and started making its way toward them. The surrounding water was still holding them in place, and it felt like their magic was also being suppressed by it. They had been confused and scared by all the sudden events that happened. But that had turned to solid fear as the creature hovered overhead. And as they caught of its claws, getting ready to swipe at them both, that fear became terror as they stared down their fate.

The dragon swiped, but its claws did not reach Honoka or Maki. It got caught about midway, the familiar ripples of a barrier showing in the air very briefly before disappearing again. They were surprised to see Maria hovering in front of them, her arms out to either side. They managed to catch the glimmer of a spell card floating in front of Maria and slowly rotating. It was glowing with the same white that Hanayo's spell crest did when using her barrier spells.

The dragon continued to struggle with its claws against the barrier for a few more seconds. Then once again it drew in magic, this time to breathe fire. Maria was only able to maintain the barrier for a little bit before the power from the fire overwhelmed her. The barrier was destroyed, and the shockwave sent the exhausted Maria crashing into Maki, the momentum forcing both of them under the water.

With Maria unconscious over Maki, the two slowly sank to the bottom of the water. With the effects of the water trap _still_ keeping her from moving, the only thing Maki could do was hold her breath. Though the longer she was forced to look at the maid's unmoving figure, the less important preserving her own life became to her.

_This isn't how it's supposed to be. None of this should be happening._

Maki could feel pain rising in her chest. Not physical, but emotional. A pain she had felt the last few days, but had been trying to ignore up until this point. Though, she couldn't really ignore it anymore.

_It's probably too late now,_ she thought with regret. _I'm sorry I wasn't honest with you before._

She was about to run out of breath, she knew it.

_I love you, Maria._

As soon as she let go of her breath, Maki thought everything would go black. But instead, she felt the pressure from the water disappear, and felt herself hit solid ground with an abrupt _thud_ followed by pressure on her chest. She quickly opened her eyes.

_The water, it's being repelled?_

But she didn't have time to think. Her view was quickly obstructed by Maria's face. She might have said the maid's name, had something not have been pressed up against her lips. It only took a second for everything to click for Maki.

_M-Maria's kissing me?!_

Almost as soon as Maki had her revelation, everything seemed to happen all at once. Maria started glowing in front of her, and Maki felt some strange power quickly growing within her. There was a moment of stillness before the energy seemed to burst from both of them. The next thing Maki knew, all the water was suddenly gone. But before she could question anything, Maria finally separated their lips and lifted her head. Her smile was the same as always, but for some reason Maki found it incredibly captivating in the moment.

"I love you too, Maki," the maid said softly.

Honoka sat up from where she landed and looked around. A smile formed on her lips as she spotted the last moments of the kiss. A loud noise interrupted her from enjoying the moment. She turned to see the dragon, having been knocked out of the air from the energy burst from Maki and Maria, had just gotten up again. No longer under the effects of the trap, Honoka could feel her magic freely flowing through her body again, and with it her confidence grew.

"Time to strike back?" Kotori asked as she came up beside Honoka, sword already in hand. The princess materialized her rapier into her hand.

"Time to strike back."

Maria and Maki were vaguely aware of the battle that had started around them, but at the moment they didn't care. The only thing on their mind right now was each other.

"Do you mean that?" Maki asked, almost unable to believe what just happened.

Maria nodded. "Yes. I have for a little while now. I was just afraid of how you would take it. But after hearing your feelings for me…"

Maki's eyes widened a little in surprise. "Wait, how did you hear that? I didn't say anything, I only thought it."

"Huh? What?"

A particularly loud noise was finally enough to interrupt their very brief moment. Annoyed, Maki looked over Maria's shoulder at the fight. At first she only saw Kotori and Honoka. She looked around, noticing the others far to the side. Maki could guess from their expressions and Hanayo's continuous use of healing magic that they were still recovering from the effects of the trap.

Looking at the battle again, she got to witness a brief moment of beauty. Honoka jumped to the left to avoid the dragon's tail as it slammed against the ground. Then she jumped to the right as the dragon tried to slash at her with its claws. When it came to its fire, Honoka stood her ground and created a magic shield. With the dragon focused on trying to overpower the shield with fire, Kotori slipped behind it, striking its back with her sword. The scream of pain lasted a second before the dragon turned to retaliate at Kotori. I tried with its claws again, but missed as Kotori dodged. The claws dug into the sand, getting the dragon stuck for a second. It was enough time for Honoka to use a spell at the dragon while its back was now exposed to the princess.

Maki watched in awe at the pair's coordination. But she would only get a moment to appreciate it before the dragon became enraged. The dragon used its wings to create a violent wind. There was no way for Kotori or Honoka to avoid it, and they were both knocked to the ground. Neither got up immediately, and the dragon started to close the distance.

Anger started to build within Maki. As she started to gather magic for a spell, she caught something starting to glow out of the corner of her eye. She looked to her left, seeing three balls of light on the ground all starting to change their shape. The light faded, revealing two fans and a revolver. All three items had the same design on them, an open book with pages scattered around. Under any other circumstance, Maki might have wondered what was going on. Instead, she grabbed one of the fans without question and quickly thought of a spell to use. But before she could begin channeling magic for it, she saw the spell cast itself right in front of her. The dragon was stopped from progressing forward as it was suddenly barraged by ice arrows. It was slowly forced backwards as more and more ice arrows assaulted the dragon as soon as they were formed. In a last desperate attempt, the dragon launched itself into the air. The first thing it saw as it looked down was a giant magic bullet flying directly toward it. There was no chance for the dragon to avoid it, and the bullet hit its mark with a violent explosion.

The dragon fell out of the sky, crashing into the ground with enough force to shake the area. A small sigh of relief escaped Maki's lips, though she quickly made a surprised noise afterwards. Like the scorpion monster the day before, the dragon turned to sand and disappeared. As the last of the dragon's body blew away, a loud crack could be heard. Maki felt the ground beneath her split, and saw as the entire bottom of the oasis crumbled. The ground gave way and they all fell into the newly opened hole. Maria managed to grab hold of Maki. The maid pulled the mage into as tight a hold as possible. Unsure of what would happen when they hit the bottom, or if this pit had a bottom at all, Maki could only hold Maria tightly in return and hope this wasn't the last time she would be able to.

* * *

Honoka slowly opened her eyes, a smile forming as she took in her first sight. The last thing she remembered was the ground beneath her collapsing and everyone falling, so seeing Kotori's concerned amber eyes and feeling Kotori's arms holding her tight was a huge relief for Honoka. Kotori was relieved as well seeing Honoka was alright.

"Where are we?" Honoka asked, looking around.

"Some kind of underground cave, I guess?" Kotori replied.

"I guess that was a silly question considering we're in a foreign land."

"At least this proves that you're still Honoka and not someone else."

Honoka made a less-than-amused face before smiling at the joke. Starting to feel uncomfortable lying on the ground, Honoka managed to sit herself up. She looked around, spotting Maria and Maki sitting up in the spot they had landed at. Maki's face was buried into Maria's chest. The maid held the mage with one arm, while the other was rubbing Maki's back to try and comfort her. She looked around some more until she found the others, who landed together and were all resting sitting against the wall.

"Thank goodness everyone seems to be okay," Honoka said.

"Yeah. Though I wonder how we managed to survive a fall like that," Kotori said.

Honoka instinctively looked up, noting that she couldn't see any sunlight at all. The only light around them were glowing blue crystals scattered along the walls and ground of the area.

_I saved you._

Surprised, Honoka looked around, trying to find the source of the sound. As she did, she noticed that no one else seemed to be reacting.

"Did… did you hear that?" Honoka asked.

"Hear what?"

The princess frowned. "I thought I heard-"

_I'm over here._

Although the voice didn't say specifically where, Honoka seemed to instinctively turn to look. A sudden urge came over Honoka, causing her to quickly get up and start walking over to where she _felt_ the voice was coming from.

"Uhm… Honoka?" Kotori called, but the princess didn't stop.

"Where's Honoka-sama going?" Maria asked, just catching Honoka before she disappeared into a passageway.

Kotori merely shook her head as she got up to follow the princess. She reached the entrance to the passageway, seeing it extended in either direction. She saw Honoka standing at the end of one way, and made her way over.

"Honoka, what's going-"

But Kotori's question was instantly cut off as she looked into the room. It was another big area like the one they fell in, but with the ground glowing with a strange pattern in yellow. The crystals were glowing yellow instead of blue. Though, the most shocking part was the massive creature lying in the center of the room.

"A dragon?" Kotori asked as it recognized the creature's wings.

_Greetings, Kousaka Honoka and Minami Kotori._

"Ah, so you talk," Honoka said, not sounding too surprised at this revelation. "What's your name?"

_I am Niadra, the mother of all dragons born into this world._

* * *

**Hey guys, nobodD here!**

**So sorry for the longer-than-usual wait. A little after posting my latest one-shot, I got a new laptop! And while transferring everything didn't take too much time, getting a working word processor to write with did. Shoutouts to my friend for his help X3**

**An oasis that wasn't a mirage but also wasn't a real oasis either. To explain, the "dragon" uses magic to turn the water into a trap. Anything in the water can't move, and any magic is suppressed. That's really all I can explain right now. Most of the explanations will happen in the next chapter.**

**Our second pairing finally happens X3 yay. And they come with foreshadowing for the remaining ones. But don't worry, this is part of what's going to be explained next chapter. Just hang tight.**

**Hope to see you next time~**


	30. The Creators

**lychee-ran: Like I said, lots of things will be explained in this chapter. I don't want to spoil anything before the right time X3 And as for the others who haven't appeared a lot in this arc, remember that this story is mainly told through Kotori and Honoka's eyes. Because of this, we saw a lot of Maria and Maki since the four went to the castle at the start of the second arc. The others will get some time to shine soon.**

***Disclaimer: I do NOT own Love Live!**

* * *

Upon hearing that name, Kotori stepped in front of Honoka. She drew out her sword, ready for anything to happen. Except for Honoka grabbing her arm and pulling her back slightly. The princess shook her head, and reluctantly Kotori put her sword away.

"Niadra," Honoka spoke carefully. "How do you know who we are?"

"_The knowledge of all dragons is shared with me_," Niadra 'said. "_I've known you since you met that tamer and her companion."_

"Mimi? But she isn't a real dragon," Kotori pointed out.

"_Yes, but within her resides the soul of the dragon she bested in battle."_

"Okay… So if you knew it was us, why did you let that dragon attack us up above?" Honoka asked.

"_I do not control all dragons. They are my children, and are able to think for themselves. Besides, that 'thing' you fought above ground is not one of my children. That was merely a creature of the darkness, impersonating the form of my own."_

"I guess that would explain why it disappeared after it was defeated," Kotori said, still a little cautious about fully believing the dragon in front of them.

"_Still weary of me, Minami?"_ Niadra asked. "_As one of the creators of this world, you have my word that I am only speaking the truth."_

"Creator?"

"Kotori! Honoka!" They heard Maki's voice calling from behind them.

They turned around as Maria and Maki walked into the room, hand in hand. The others followed in close behind.

"You didn't come back right away, so we were getting a little worried," Maki said.

Maria nearly froze at the sight of Niadra. "Uhm… What's going on here?"

"Well… This is… Niadra," Kotori said awkwardly.

"Heh, right," Rin wasn't convinced. "If this really was Niadra, then-"

"_Your friend speaks the truth,"_ Niadra said.

"I-It talks?!"

Maki took a step forward, a fan in her free hand. "So, you're the one that killed my parents."

"_Dear child, I have not left this cave in twenty years."_

The anger disappeared from Maki as quickly as it had come. "… What?"

"_I have not been above surface for twenty years. Therefore I could not have been the one to end your parents' lives. No dragon was responsible for their deaths either. No real dragon, anyway."_

"Then, it was one of those dark monsters in the form of a dragon?" Kotori asked.

Honoka shook her head. "That couldn't have been a normal monster."

"What do you mean, Honoka-sama?" Rin voiced everyone's confusion.

The princess looked to the younger Knight. "Think about it. Dark-type monsters hate natural light. Even the strongest ones can't be in sunlight for too long. So why would we have met two just wandering the dessert? Also, monsters don't disappear when they die like the scorpion-thing and the 'dragon' we just fought. But the things that Asriel controlled when we fought her did."

"_Very perceptive,"_ Niadra complimented. _"Indeed, those things you have faced before are not monsters. Those are minions made from demon magic. They have no original form, and instead borrow the form of another. Unlike your partner Mimi, they do not need to absorb a soul first. They can be born into any form the demon desires, including a human's form."_

"Have demons or their minions always been walking among us?" Eli asked. "It seems unlikely that no one would have noticed for so long."

"_Ah, but Asriel went unnoticed until you actually confronted her, didn't she?"_

"Ah… well… that's true…"

"_Relax. It is no human's fault for that. There was a war fought years ago between my brethren and the demons. Although we had defeated most of them, there were a few demons that slipped away. They have most likely been hiding in various ways while they recovered their power. And like Asriel, they most likely won't do anything to draw attention until they have recovered."_

"Why go through all this trouble, though?" Rin asked. "There has to be a reason for all this."

"It has something to do with you being a _Creator_ doesn't it?" Honoka guessed.

Niadra nodded. _"Each of us made different aspects of this world, and those things are what we are responsible for maintaining. Should any of us die, those things we created will fall into ruin. A natural law will behave differently or disappear altogether, entire species could go mad, those type of things._

"So that's it then," Kotori said. "The remaining demons are trying to hunt you down to destroy the world?" Niadra only nodded in response.

"So, what is it that you control?" Honoka asked a little hesitantly.

"_I am responsible for several species including dragons, as well as some aspects of magic. But what is completely mine is the properties of Soul Links, or the bonds that you two share, and that your maid has recently formed with Nishikino."_

"Wait, you know about our bond?" Kotori asked, surprised.

"_As I have said, I was the one who created it in its entirety. I can sense when established Soul Links are nearby me."_

"Then… Can you tell us about them?" Honoka asked. "We know nothing about them. And if we're going to help you, we're going to need to know how they work."

"Wait, you want to help?" Eli asked. "You're going to believe her just like that?"

Honoka turned to the blond Knight and nodded. "We don't have a reason not to believe her. Besides, she could've done something to us already if she wanted to, but she didn't. I trust her."

Niadra nodded. _"Very well, then. A Soul Link is a very powerful bond shared between two partners. It joins their souls together, which in turn combines different aspects of their lives together. Partners are able to feel each other's emotions, hear each other's thoughts, and even share each other's powers."_

"So we really are sensing each other," Kotori said. "But, how come I can't clearly hear Honoka's thoughts?"

"_Your Soul Link is still fairly new. At the moment, the only part of it that has fully developed is your shared energy. Though it is surprising that particular link is already fully developed, given how recent you two became partners."_

"What does it mean when that link develops?" Honoka asked.

"_Whether it is magic or weapon techniques, you use some type of energy during combat. Through the Energy Bond from your Soul Link, you are able to pull from each other's energy pool. As the Bond develops, your energy will slowly combine until it becomes a shared pool of energy. Along with that, a fully developed Energy Bond will increase your overall power."_

"Even for us?" Maki asked.

"_Yes. As your energy pool develops, it will turn into whichever resource necessary for both of you. But be warned. Once your Energy Bond fully develops, you no longer have your own personal energy, as you will always share from then on. So should one partner lose access to their powers, both will lose it."_

"So that's why I couldn't use magic earlier…" Kotori said, thinking about the water trap.

"What other bonds are there?" Honoka asked.

"_Well, the other you have probably noticed already is the mental link. Through this bond, you will be able to share each other's thoughts and emotions. In the beginning, it will feel like strong suggestions, but otherwise indiscernible. As this bond progresses, those feelings will start to become clear thoughts and easier to identify emotions. A fully developed bond will allow mental communication between partners, or telepathy as it is better known. You will also be able to fully understand the other's needs through the bond's emotional aspect."_

"It kind of sounds like they're becoming one person," Rin said.

"_They are in a way,"_ Niadra responded. _"After all, Soul Links aren't a temporary thing. One of the conditions is that both partners are ready to spend the rest of their lives together. It will not form if there is even the slightest bit of uncertainty in either's commitment. A much more permanent unity than the bonding ceremony you humans frequently use. Marriage, I believe is what you call it."_

"Marriage…"

Both Kotori and Honoka couldn't help but smile. Neither were the ones that repeated the word, but they both turned to the one who did. Maria and Maki's faces both started to turn red, and they both had taken sudden interest in opposite sides of the room. Though, they still firmly held each other's hands. Kotori and Honoka allowed themselves a quiet chuckle at the new couple's expense.

"So, how exactly are these Soul Links formed?" Hanayo asked. "It feels like there should be a lot, but this is the first time I've even heard about them."

"_There are a few requirements for a Soul Link to be formed. One is the commitment, like I have already mentioned. The other is resonance. Your soul harmonizes with others' at different levels. There is a select few that will perfectly match with yours. Their souls will have a strong enough resonance with yours necessary to form a Soul Link. However, even if those are met, a trigger is still required in order to complete the bond."_

"What do you mean by _trigger_?" Honoka asked.

"_Something needs to put the bond at risk of being destroyed. How the pair of souls reacts to that threat will determine if the Soul Link will form or not. Should the commitment stay true, and the souls' resonance increase further, the Soul Link will form. If either falters, then nothing will happen. Death is one of the threats that can trigger Soul Links, just like what the four of you faced recently."_

"So then… all that power I was feeling earlier…" Maria started to say.

"_It was a result of the Soul Link forming. Though as you might have noticed, it was only a temporary increase in power to show you a glimpse of your combined potential."_

"How do we develop our Soul Links?" Honoka asked. "How do we reach this potential?"

"_Unfortunately, I cannot give you a direct answer to that. Those conditions are different for every partner. I can only offer advice, which is to try to understand each other fully. Do what you think will bring the two of you closer together, and the rest should follow. Can you bring out your weapons? I wish to show you something."_

"Umm, sure…"

Although they were confused by the sudden request, they did as they were asked and drew out their weapons. Instinctively Kotori started to inspect hers, which led her to notice something quickly.

"The design changed," she commented.

Honoka looked over curiously, noticing what Kotori saw. When she had first received the sword, the engraving on the blade was of a sun by the hilt with feathers scattered along the blade. Now, there was a bird within the sun, and two sun rays added as well. The rays ran down the blade, intersecting a feather each. Honoka looked at her rapier, noticing the same changes on her blade as well.

"_There are two symbols which represent your Emblems,"_ Niadra explained. _"Emblems are unique to every living thing. The mixture of two partners' Emblems forms their Mark. The Mark on your weapons indicates how strong your Soul Link is. In the beginning, your Mark will simply be both Emblems together. As you develop each bond, the Mark will change accordingly, growing more intricate. It will become complete once you reach your maximum for your Soul Link, and you will also receive a new gift as well."_

Maria looked down at her weapons. Her and Maki's Mark was engraved on either side of her revolver's barrel, and the back of her spell cards changed to the Mark as well. An open book and what Maria was starting to realize were actually cards scattered above the book. The Mark was on both of Maki's fans as well.

"You said that Emblems are unique to every living thing, right?" Maria asked, earning a nod from the dragon. "Are they supposed to have a special meaning?"

"_Why yes, your Emblems do have a special meaning to each of them. Though, it is not my place to say what those meanings are. Maybe you and your partner can figure out their meanings."_

There was a brief silence that followed as everyone took in everything Niadra had told them so far. Even though it applied more to Honoka, Kotori, Maki and Maria, the others decided it was still worth knowing, just in case. After a while, Honoka spoke up again.

"Is there anything else we should know?"

Niadra shook her head. _"No, that is all I can tell you about Soul Links. The rest, you must figure out for yourselves."_

"I see…" Honoka bowed. "Thank you so much for sharing your wisdom with us."

"There is just one last thing we'd like to know," Eli said. "Where are the rest your brethren hiding?"

Everyone looked at the blond knight, surprised. "Why do you want to know that?" Rin asked.

"Well, Niadra can't be the only Creator being targeted, right?" Eli explained. "We need to know where they are if we're going to help them."

A sound that seemed close to a chuckle came from Niadra. _"Very well, I shall tell you where they hide."_

* * *

**Hey everyone, nobodD here!**

**Sorry for my extended absence. I've been really busy with work the last couple of weeks. Also, I was being careful in how I wrote this chapter. Unlike a lot of earlier chapters, where I was okay with changing things from my original plan, I didn't want this chapter to stray too far from what it was intended to be. I also had to keep checking previous chapters to make sure everything lined up properly. I didn't want it to take this long, but that's how it ended up happening. So again, sorry .**

**So finally Kotori and Honoka's connection that formed at the end of the 1st arc is put into words. If the name wasn't already obvious enough, the idea is based on having a soul mate. It was one of the earliest ideas I had going into this story, so a lot of the changes to earlier chapters were to make sure this would fit into the story later on. Namely the fight scenes changed the most, though some of the side scenes were altered as well.**

**Speaking of which, the whole thing with Niadra was also intended since the start. It's really the only reason I was able to continue with a second arc to this story. Without it, there would be no direction with this arc and there would be no point writing it X3 Not that I've needed a reason to write stuff in the past, but you get the idea.**

**Hopefully for the sake of the people who still follow this story, I can get back to a better pace with my writing. Though, my weeks are unpredictable, so we'll see. Hopefully I'm talking to a lot of people when I say…**

**I'll see you next chapter~**


	31. Reflection

**Vlad Leonardo: I'm honestly curious what your sister imaged the voice to sound like… X3**

**Major Mike Powell III: Well, I've never been good at subtly so… yeah xp Hey it got the point across, I think. I hope. Haha. **

***Disclaimer: I do NOT own Love Live!**

* * *

After giving them the approximate locations of where her brethren are most likely hiding, Niadra revealed a passageway through the underground and back to the surface. Their trip out of the dessert went by uneventfully, apart from a few monsters here and there they had to clear out. As soon as they arrived back in Talys, they immediately went back to the inn they had previously stayed at. They once again obtained two rooms, though they were currently all gathered in one.

"Do you think we should ask for help from the three countries?" Rin asked.

"We could try, but I don't think we'd get anywhere with that," Maria responded. "After the incident with the village, moving the Knights from Izolle would cause too many problems."

"Telos Astue is probably no good as well," Kotori said. "They probably have enough to worry about rebuilding and restructuring in Dahngrest already."

"Talys is really the only large city in Strahta, so taking too much from here would be bad," Nozomi said.

"Sounds like we're doing this on our own, then," Umi concluded.

"It might be better that way," Nico suggested. "We'd draw a lot of attention if more people were searching."

"Especially since we don't know where the remnants of the demons are hiding," Hanayo added. "It could cause a lot of problems if they caught onto us."

"I guess it's decided then," Eli declared. "We'll search as our group only. Now we just need to decide where to start searching."

"How about we start with that island to the east of Strahta?" Maria offered.

"You mean Araluen? Why there?" Nico asked.

"It's the closest area that Niadra told us to look. Plus, a place made mostly of ice would be a nice break from this insane heat."

Everyone quickly nodded their heads in agreement.

"Do boats even travel that way though?" Umi asked.

"Most likely not," Nozomi answered. "Though I may have an idea…"

"No," Nico immediately responded.

"Eh, but you haven't heard what I have to say yet."

"You're going to suggest we ride on Mimi as a dragon, right? Absolutely not."

"Meanie…" Nozomi quietly said with a pout.

"We can figure out how we'll get there in the morning," Eli decided. "Right now, I think we've all earned a good night's rest after these last few days."

Rin started to yawn. "I think I agree. Good night everyone."

After everyone exchanged their good nights, half of the group left the room to head for the one next door. As Eli made her way to the door, she turned back to the remaining members.

"The rest of us decided that you four should share this room while we take the other. That being said, don't get carried away or anything tonight." And with a wink, the blond knight left the room.

Kotori rolled her eyes. Maria noticed and giggled. When Kotori gave her a questioning look, the maid merely shrugged her shoulders before she got off her spot on the wall. She took Maki's hands in each of hers, bringing the mage to her feet and leading her to one of the two beds. Kotori noticed that Maki didn't really say anything, and had a very distant look on her face. Seeing that reminded her of a certain princess beside her.

"You okay?"

Honoka nodded, not looking away from the same spot on the ground.

"Just thinking about what Niadra said."

"Well, it was a lot to take in all at once. Were you thinking about one thing in particular?"

Honoka shifted her gaze to the bedside table. Kotori followed her gaze, seeing both of their weapons leaning against the table.

"The Soul Links?" she realized.

"Niadra said that Emblems are unique to each person, and that they have a meaning behind them," Honoka recalled. "But, I can't really think of why mine is a sun."

"Is that all that's bugging you?"

"… A bit…"

Kotori couldn't help but smile. She put an arm around Honoka and pulled her a bit closer.

"Well, if you were to ask me, I think it fits you perfectly. Not just because of your cheerful personality, but because you have that effect on others as well. You're brave, not afraid to fight for what you believe is right. You looked straight at darkness and didn't back down, twice now. And you're able to bring all that in others as well. You're the warmth everyone enjoys."

There was a bit more Kotori wanted to say, but the growing color in Honoka's cheeks told her that the princess got the message pretty clearly by this point. She sat still for a few seconds before she looked up to Kotori.

"You really think so?"

"Absolutely."

"We do too," Maki chimed in, causing the two to look up. They saw Maki wrapped in Maria's arms and both sitting up on their bed, smiles on both their faces.

"See?" Kotori said, causing Honoka to smile.

"Heh, thank you."

"Now mine on the other hand, I don't really see why my Emblem is a bird."

"Really?" Now it was Honoka giving Kotori a curious look.

"Do you have any idea?"

"Well…" Honoka tapped her cheek with a finger a few times in thought. "Compared to me, you are much more of a free spirit. You had no reason to fulfill my request back in the prison cells, yet you still did. You make decisions based on what you want to, not what you are told to do. Yet you always have a home to return to when you wished, or at least you do now."

"… Is that how you think of me?"

"Y-Yes… Is that… bad?"

"N-no, it's not bad. It's just, I never really thought of myself like that."

"I see… Well, those are some of the things about you that I fell in love with," Honoka said, no longer embarrassed.

"Some?" Kotori repeated with a smile.

"Some. There's plenty more of course."

The both giggled. "I love you."

"I love you too," they exchanged before kissing.

Maria rolled her eyes, though was still smiling. "They are way too cute together sometimes," she said under her breath.

"Isn't it nice?" Maki said, also trying to keep quiet. She turned in Maria's arms to look up at the maid. "Say… what do you think about me?"

"I don't think you're cute, I think you're absolutely adorable." Maria held Maki tighter as if to prove her point, causing the young mage to giggle.

"But, to really answer your question, I think there's more to you than meets the eye. You were forced by yourself at such an early age. You had a lot thrown against you, yet you grew because of them. You're still young, yet you've already matured into a wonderful lady. You're strong and smart, you taught yourself magic after all. And you're still young, still learning, still growing. You're still discovering who you are, and what your full potential is. You're only going to get better."

Maki couldn't help but smile after that. "Thanks."

Maria gave Maki a quick kiss on the lips before asking, "So, what about you?"

"Well, I think you're very helpful and very reliable. Whether it's a simple task, a personal problem, or whatever, it's like you're always there to help. I feel like I can always look to you for advice on what to do next, or even if I just need some support. I know you don't know everything about the world, but to me it feels like you do, just because of everything you've done for me already."

"Sounds like tarot cards," Kotori said from the other bed.

The couple as well as Honoka all looked to her. "Why do you say that?" Honoka asked, still in her arms.

"Tarot cards are used in fortune telling to try and predict the future, right? Of course, they're not always right, but in a way you could look at it as advice about what could happen next."

"I guess that's one way of looking at it," Maki said.

Maria looked over to their own bedside table where Maki's fans and her revolver were sitting. "So if the cards are my emblem…"

"Maybe, _don't judge a book by its cover_, would fit how you think of Maki," Honoka offered to her maid.

"So then… Our emblems are a sign of how our partner's see us?" Kotori asked.

"Well, considering everything about Soul Links, it would make the most sense," Maki reasoned.

"Hey look, our Mark changed," Maria said.

The other three looked back to the table with Maki and Maria's weapons. Before the opened book toward the bottom was flat, and the eight cards above it were all blank. Now, it looked like pages of the book were being turned, and two of the cards had a little flame inside them. Curious, Kotori looked over to her and Honoka's weapons. Three more sun rays were added, each of them intersecting a feather further down the blades. Though, that was all that appeared to have changed since the last time.

"Ours changed, too," Kotori mentioned to Honoka, who turned to look for herself.

"I see, so that's why Niadra said to figure out our emblems' meanings with our partners," Honoka remembered.

"That's a pretty obvious hint now that you think about it…"

"Well, considering everything Niadra told us all at once, I guess it's a bit expected that we'd overlook a few things," Maria said.

"True."

Kotori felt a little extra weight from Honoka against her body. She looked down to the princess in time to catch her yawn.

"I guess we should get some sleep now, huh?"

Honoka only nodded in response, the exhaustion from the day having finally caught up to her. Kotori moved over to pull down on the covers, with Maria doing the same on the other bed. Together Kotori and Honoka crawled in and comfortably positioned themselves in an embrace with the covers wrapped around them. Since their bed was closer to the door and the light switch, Maria got up to turn the lights off. She quickly returned to her bed as to not keep Maki waiting. The four exchanged good nights to the other beds, silently kissed their partners, and drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Eli only got to sleep for a few hours before she woke up. Though she wouldn't say she woke up naturally. She wasn't completely sure why, but something felt off to her.

Eli tried not to move much as she took in her surroundings. Just like the other room, there were two beds and a couple of chairs here. Both Eli and Rin chose to sleep on the chairs, allowing the other four to share beds. She spotted Hanayo and Nozomi in their bed, as well as Umi and Nico in theirs, all four still soundly asleep.

Finally she spotted what was off about the room. First, the sliding door to their little outside area was open. Second was that the chair that should have held the last sleeping figure, was empty. Eli did her best to not make any noise by slowly getting up and making her way outside. She quickly spotted Rin sitting on the grass, gazing up at the night sky. She smiled at the sight before making her way over.

"Mind if I join you?" she asked, earning the younger girl's attention.

"Commander?" Rin said, slightly surprised by Eli. Then she shook her head. "I don't mind at all."

Eli walked up beside Rin. "Are you having trouble sleeping?"

"Sort of. I just have a lot on my mind right now."

"Because of what Niadra said earlier?"

Rin looked back up to the sky. "Yeah… All this stuff with Soul Links is kind of bothering me."

"Oh?"

Rin nodded. "Don't get me wrong, I'm really happy for Honoka and them. But at the same time… it's a bit upsetting. It makes me wonder if I'll ever find a love like that. And the more I think about it… the more I start to believe I won't."

There was silence following Rin confessing her worries. Then she heard probably the last thing she expected to hear, Eli started to chuckle. Confused, and a little hurt, Rin turned to her blond commander.

"Sorry," Eli apologized, "but being able to admit that proves how wrong you are."

"I'm… not following."

"Well first off, you're not the only one worrying about these things. Have you noticed the way the others are sleeping right now?"

"You mean the space between them on the beds?"

"Exactly. Not too long ago, everyone was fine with being close with each other, even sharing sleeping bags. No one thought twice about it. But tonight that's not the case. They're nearly on opposite sides of the bed to give each other space. Whether or not they did the consciously, all this business with Soul Links and the two couples in our group is starting to affect the rest of us."

"Yeah…" Rin took a look back into their room, observing as the other four were peacefully sleeping.

"You know, I had similar thoughts to you before."

"Really?"

Eli nodded. "One day on patrol, I happened to run into a large amount of couples in one of the plazas. Seeing everyone happy with someone they loved made me wonder if I was strange for never having thought of any kind of romance before. Later on I decided that I was."

"Eh? You're not weird, commander."

"Oh, I am weird. Very much so. I was a Knight since I was a kid after all. But that isn't necessarily a bad thing. It's actually made me realize a couple of things."

"It did?"

Eli nodded. "For one, it made me unique. It was something that no one else could say they were, it was something for me to be proud of. Also, I realized that I didn't need to worry about love at the time. I was happy working as a Knight, serving the King and through him serving the people. I realized that because of all I do to watch over these people, they're able to live their own lives without worry. And that made it easier to focus on my duties as a Knight. Remember when you saved that man from his store being robbed?"

For the first time during this conversation, Rin smiled. "Yeah. It felt really good, especially with how thankful he was afterwards."

Eli smiled. "You and I have dedicated basically our entire lives as Knights. It only makes sense that we didn't think about love during it. But you shouldn't think any less of yourself for it. You'll find the love you seek, but it will happen on its own. No use getting yourself down about it in the meantime."

"Thank you, commander," Rin bowed her head slightly.

"Just Eli is fine."

"But-"

"I didn't mind so much while we were just Cygnus Knights, but I'd like my friends to call me by my actual name."

Rin could feel the smile on her face growing ever so slightly. "Then, Eli."

The blond knight chuckled, "There you go. Come on, we should head back inside and get as much rest as we can."

"Okay." As they turned back to start walking toward their room, Rin had one last thought. "Have you found someone you love like that?"

The question caught Eli a little off guard. Luckily for her, she was now ahead of Rin so she couldn't see her face.

"There might be someone like that. Or there might not be."

Although she had a feeling she knew Eli's real answer just based on that, Rin knew better than to press the topic further. In all their years together in the Knights, Eli had only ever been ambiguous when she wasn't comfortable.

_So she does think of someone like that,_ Rin thought. _I wonder who it is that has someone like Eli acting like this._

If only she knew the answer right then and there.

* * *

**Hey everyone, nobodD here!**

**So we get one last bit on Soul Links and their development in this chapter. I had planned for this part to be separate from the last chapter so we could see what was said last chapter in action. Also, it was a great chance to write some fluff and develop our two existing couples. But now, it's FINALLY time we start developing the other couples. **

**I guess a quick note. So since early on in this story, the PoV was focused mainly on Kotori and Honoka. The only real exception was with Maria and Maki in the castle. But now, in order to help in developing the others, I'll start doing like I've done in this chapter, and showing you scenes happening away from our main couple. Hopefully it'll keep things interesting.**

**Sorry for another development chapter. Might be looking at maybe one more before any more action takes place. Just a bit of a warning. As always let me know what you think up until this point and questions or concerns are always welcome.**

**Hope to see you next time~**


	32. Fortune

***Disclaimer: I do NOT own Love Live!**

* * *

There was a knock on the door as they were getting ready the next morning. Knowing who it most likely was, Rin went to open it right away.

"Good morning Honoka," she greeted.

Honoka was about to return the greeting, but froze suddenly. Rin watched as the princess's lips slowly formed a smile.

"You did it. You finally said my name normally."

Rin had to backtrack a bit to realize what Honoka meant. "Ah, s-sorry. I didn't-"

But she was cut off by seeing Honoka shake her head. "Don't apologize. I'm happy that you're able to address me more personally now."

In looking for something to draw away attention, Rin noticed that Honoka was carrying a tray with a few plates on it. "Hmm, what's going on?"

"Ah, this? I made breakfast for everyone!" Honoka announced, holding the tray a little higher.

"Really?" Rin got a good whiff of the food, almost instantly making her mouth water. "Thank you. Though, what's the occasion?"

"Well, it's been a while since I've made anything myself. And usually Hanayo does all the cooking, so I wanted to return the favor for once."

"It's really not that big of a deal though," Hanayo said from further into the room.

"Just accept it. Once Honoka-sama's mind is made up, there's no changing it," came a new voice from behind the princess. Honoka stepped a bit to the side to reveal Maria, also holding a tray of food.

Hanayo giggled. "I see. Well then, thank you for making breakfast Honoka."

Rin stepped aside from the door so Honoka and Maria could come in. Kotori and Maki followed in a little after, which wasn't a surprise itself. What did surprise Rin and the others as the two walked in was their appearance.

Maki's hair was in curls, while Kotori's had been straightened and put in a single ponytail in the back rather than the side as she usual wore it. Both were wearing blouses, a crimson one for Maki and silver for Kotori. Both wore a blue skirt, silver necklace and a tiara to top it all off.

Amidst the stunned group, Eli was first to regain her voice.

"Wow, you both look wonderful."

"T-thanks…" Kotori and Maki replied simultaneously.

"Don't take this the wrong way… but what's the occasion?" Nico asked.

"Well, before we had left the castle, I promised my mother that I would go through some of the things that Kotori and Maki will need to know once they become part of the family.

"How to be proper princesses," Maria chimed in, making Honoka giggle.

"Indeed. Though ever since our departure, there hasn't been a good opportunity."

"That, and she forgot with everything that's been happening."

Honoka nodded. "I did remember this morning though. And even if it's getting them used to the outfits, we have to start somewhere."

"And thus, breakfast," Maria said, lifting her tray a bit for emphasis.

"That sounds like a plan Honoka would come up with," Nozomi chuckled. "If we weren't about to travel across the world to fight demons and search for ancient beings, I would say you two should keep the look."

"Yeah, you both look great," Hanayo added.

"I agree," Honoka said. "Unfortunately they made me agree that they would only have to wear them for breakfast."

"Well, that's still plenty of time then, right?" Umi said jokingly.

"Can we just get on with it already?" Maki whined, causing everyone to laugh.

* * *

Breakfast itself was uneventful. As promised, Honoka let Kotori and Maki change back into their usual clothes as soon as they were finished, while the rest finished getting ready. Once Kotori and Maki changed and the four of them gathered their bags, they left the room to meet with the others outside the inn. As they stepped outside the building, they were quick to notice Nozomi off to the side of the group. She was talking with someone Kotori didn't recognize.

"Seems to be an old friend or something," Eli informed, noticing their curious looks. "At least that's what it seemed by the way they greeted each other."

"I sometimes forget that Nozomi grew up here," Hanayo admitted.

"She doesn't speak too much of her past," Honoka pointed out.

Just then they noticed Nozomi and the stranger wave goodbye to each other and Nozomi started heading back over to them.

"Ah, good morning everyone," she greeted.

"Good morning," Honoka returned. "Um, Nozomi…"

"He's an old friend of mine," she answered, predicting the question. "And the answer to our little travel problem."

"What do you mean?"

"Tai is the leader of a small exploration guild," Nozomi explained. "They stopped here in Talys for a break after their latest adventure. They also gained a lot more members, so they're looking for a bigger boat to accommodate them all."

"So, that means they don't need their old boat…" Rin pointed out.

"Exactly. And it just so happens that Tai owes me a favor."

"That's pretty lucky," Kotori said.

"Well how about we go and see our new ship?" Eli suggested.

Everyone agreed and Nozomi led the way as they started walking toward the docks. They all had a similar thing on their minds as they walked, and it was eventually Honoka who decided to ask.

"So you and Tai are friends?"

Nozomi nodded. "At one point we were closer than friends. But that was a long time ago, and a lot has happened since then."

"Oh… I'm sorry."

Nozomi chuckled. "No need. After all, he's the one that got me into exploring. Had we not spent the time that we did together, I wouldn't have ended up in Telos Astue, got caught up in that mercenary deal, and eventually met you all."

"Wow, really?"

"Yeah. Our time together helped me discover a lot about myself."

"Well, as long as you're okay, then I'm glad things worked out the way they did."

Nozomi saw Honoka smiling at her and smiled in return. "Me too."

* * *

"Yup, everything is just like I remember."

They had been walking around, examining every part of their new ship. Nozomi was smiling the entire time, pointing out little details here and there along the way.

"I'm impressed your friend managed to obtain a ship like this," Rin commented. "This ship is better than most that civilians should be able to obtain."

"Indeed. It's very reminiscent of the older ship models used by the Knights," Eli said.

Nozomi let out a nervous laugh. "That's… because it is."

"Come again?"

"On one of our adventures, we had come across this ship resting on the sand. Without a second thought, we hopped aboard and sailed off."

"You just… took the boat?"

Nozomi shrugged. "We were young, and we've never encountered anyone outside of Strahta. How were we supposed to know what the Knight's ships looked like?"

"Wait, what about the crew?" Rin asked. "There's no way that at least one knight didn't stay back."

"Well there wasn't anyone around when we found it. We thought it was abandoned so we just took it."

"Does it really matter?" Maria asked. "We have our own boat now. Besides, the Knights stopped using these boats years ago."

"I suppose you're right," Eli admitted.

"So then, let's head off to Araluen?" Kotori suggested.

Everyone agreed and started making their way back to the outside of the ship. Kotori noticed that Nozomi was lagging a bit behind, a blank expression on her face.

"Is something wrong?"

"I can't help thinking we're forgetting something…" Nozomi replied.

"Really? Like what?"

"I'm not sure…" Nozomi shrugged. "Well, I guess it's not that important anyway if I can't remember."

Kotori raised an eyebrow. "You sure?"

Nozomi spun Kotori around and started pushing her toward the exit. "Yes, now let's catch up to the others."

"Alright, alright. No need to push."

As the two made their way back onto the deck, they heard a loud sound from the engine. They both watched as the boat pulled out of the harbor and made its way out onto the open sea. They stayed their watching as the silhouette of Talys faded into the distance, and then became aware of footsteps approaching them.

"So this is where you two were," Nico said, accompanied by Honoka carrying Mimi once again as a cat.

"Aww, were you worried about us?" Nozomi asked playfully.

"Tch, of course not." Nico folded her arms and looked away. "We just wanted to make sure we didn't leave you back at Talys."

"You could've just asked Honoka," Kotori said. "We can feel each other's presence through the Soul Link."

"Hmph, whatever." And just like that, Nico turned back around and stormed away.

"Well that was weird…" Nozomi said. She started walking after Nico. As she passed Honoka, Mimi jumped from the princess's arms and back into Nozomi's.

"Where are you going?" Honoka asked.

"That was very unlike Nico just now," Nozomi replied. "I'm going to see what's up."

Nozomi continued without turning back. Honoka waited for her to disappear through the cabin door before turning back to Kotori.

"Maybe it's because of us, but I feel like it is obvious why Nico was acting strange."

"Easy there," Kotori said. "Let's wait a bit and see what happens before we do anything."

Honoka nodded. "Okay."

Almost unconsciously the two embraced each other. As they did, Kotori felt Honoka's body shiver slightly, and she was only just aware of how cold it was herself.

"Let's go inside," she suggested. Kotori looked back out to the sea as they started walking. "They do know where they're going, right?"

"There are six of them in there right now. I'm pretty sure they'll be able to figure out the way to Araluen. And if not, an unplanned adventure could be good too."

"I don't think Niadra would appreciate us getting lost when we're trying to save her brethren."

"Just trying to be positive here."

Kotori couldn't help but laugh. She turned back and her eyes met with Honoka's. As lost as she usually gets staring into those big blues, something behind the princess just happened to catch her eyes. Usually a bunch of cargo crates wouldn't mean much, but the fact that they were on the deck instead of bellow made Kotori realize something.

"We forgot to let Tai unload all of his cargo before we left."

* * *

**Hey everyone, nobodD here!**

**No, I'm not dead, haha. Just been really busy with work, having to fill in a lot of extra shifts because of people getting sick. That, and I'm a gamer and a few games I've been waiting on finally came out. So guess where my free time went… Heh…**

**Anyway, this chapter ended up just being more story. Tai is just a minor character I introduced for a bit more on Nozomi's backstory. There will be a little bit more next chapter, but otherwise don't worry too much about that.**

**I feel bad that after over a month of inactivity, all I come back with is a short story chapter. However, we'll finally get back to the adventure part, so look forward to things picking up in the next chapter. **

**Thank you to those that still stick around. Hope to see you next time~**


	33. Winter Wonderland

**GAT-X105VividPanzer: I'm shortening this next reply… haha X3 Anyway! Don't get yourself in trouble reading my stories, because that's not worth it X3 I do appreciate your interest though! And well, Maki and Maria kinda did that during their infiltration of the Dahngrest Guild HQ. But yes, the best is yet to come for them! As far as A-Rise goes, I feel like that question was asked but I can't remember… haha. Either way, I'm still a bit unsure of my final answer on that. I might be able to fit them in, but we'll see if it happens or not.**

**Major Mike Powell III: Well almost but not quite? You'll see ;]**

***Disclaimer: I do NOT own Love Live!**

* * *

Even with Kotori's discovery, Eli determined that it would waste too much time to turn back around. Instead, she decided that they go through the crates and see if there was anything that they could use. While no one was against the idea, no one was comfortable with the task.

Nozomi wasn't surprised that they suggested she do it, since Tai was her friend. However what did surprise her was the person who decided to help when the others had left.

"This is quite a collection he has here…" Nico said as she opened another box and started digging through it.

"Most of it is stuff he found during his travels," Nozomi said.

Nico pulled out a rather expensive looking necklace. "Some of this stuff seems a little too convenient for him to have just _found_."

"Well, he did say that some stuff was given to him. Although when I asked him for what reason, he never gave me a direct answer."

"Sounds like a pirate."

"Well he's not!"

Almost as soon as the words left her mouth, Nozomi froze. Nico recoiled slightly from the sudden outburst, which only made Nozomi feel worse. Nico looked away from Nozomi as she spoke again.

"Sorry… I didn't mean to offend you by calling your ex a pirate."

"No, I'm the one who should be sorry. I shouldn't have overreacted like that. Also, Tai isn't my ex."

That brought Nico's attention back. "Huh?"

"Tai and I never dated. When I said that I learned a lot about myself while I was with him, I meant how our ideas of adventure were different." Then Nozomi's voice got lower. "And also… that I'm not into boys …"

She wasn't sure if Nozomi wanted her to hear that last part, but Nico heard it pretty clearly. "O-oh… I see… I guess I misunderstood you then."

"Wait, is that what this is all about?"

Again, Nico was confused. "Huh?"

"Are you acting strange because of Tai?"

"Oh, that." Nico shook her head. "No, that has nothing to do with Tai."

"Then… what is it? Please, tell me."

Nico wished she had thought to look away sooner, because the unusual sight of Nozomi's pleading eyes had quite a powerful effect on her. Nico took a deep breath to compose herself.

"Honoka was right earlier, that I had been worried. Panicked, almost. While we were still living in Felgana, I always had to keep track of my siblings. There was a time where I didn't and Kokoa got kidnapped." Nico shook her head. "It was one of the most terrifying moments of my life."

"I'm sorry…" was the only thing Nozomi could think to say.

"Luckily we made it out of that okay. But ever since, I've been afraid of someone I care for disappearing again and ending up in a worse situation. It was bad enough when it happened to Honoka, though we were able to get through that as well. I just…"

Nico stopped as she felt arms wrap around her. She didn't have to look to know it was Nozomi, she could tell just by touch that it was her.

"I'm sorry… I'm sorry I made you worry Nico."

Nico turned within the embrace and returned it. "It's okay, I forgive you. I'm glad you're safe."

"I'll do my best to keep it that way."

"Liar. We're about to go off to fight demons." Nico smiled. "But I'll keep you safe."

Nozomi only returned the smile, no longer able to find the words to continue.

* * *

"You weren't lying when you said this place was made mostly of ice," Maria said.

"More like there's almost nothing _but_ ice," Kotori commented.

Just then a cold wind blew by. Instinctively she and Honoka held each other tightly. Of course with their outfits less than ideal for this type of climate, it didn't help much. Though, Honoka shivered more than Kotori did.

"I can probably… rewrite the spell card… we used in Strahta," Maki managed to say between shivers. Like Kotori and Honoka, she and Maria attempted to keep each other warm without much luck.

"Please try," Rin quickly said.

"Come on… Let's go back to the ship," Hanayo suggested.

"You all go ahead," Eli said. "Rin and I are going to look around for a bit."

"Are you sure?" Honoka asked.

"We'll be fine," Rin reassured her. "Go ahead."

"Mmm, okay. But don't go too far."

The others turned back to the ship while Eli and Rin turned the opposite way. Neither said anything as they began their little recon of the area.

Unlike what they saw when they first arrived, which was mostly ice and a few patches of snow, there seemed to be more snow the further they went. That told the two knights that there was stable ground beneath them, which relieved their worries of potentially having to fight demons on ice. Of course, Araluen wasn't known as a land of ice for nothing. No matter where they looked, there were shards of ice coming out of the ground.

There was a loud cry that grabbed the knights' attention. Not the cry of a human, but one they have become familiar with recently. Without a word, both ran in the direction they heard the sound. They made their way up a hill, stopping just before the top so they could peek over it without being spotted. Though what they found wasn't what they were expecting.

At the bottom of the hill was an ice temple. There were ice columns on either side of a pathway leading to an altar. A few columns were missing, likely having been shattered and the pieces scattered by the wind. Right near the altar was what they were expecting to find after hearing that sound earlier.

"Another shadow creature," Rin said.

"It looks like the bird monsters back home," Eli observed. The knight captain pulled out her scythe and extended it to its full combat form.

"Hey, we're only supposed to be scouting the area."

"Doing a little bit of clearing wouldn't hurt."

Rin looked over to the shadow creature one more time before looking back to Eli, who was waiting for her response. She sighed. "I guess you're right."

Rin pulled out her daggers and the two went off. Rin used her extreme speed to close the distance. But as fast as she was, the monster seemed to react just in time, barely taking off into the sky just before Rin's dagger could reach.

Seeing this, Eli kicked off the ground to launch herself into the air. The speed from running downhill helped her to close the distance, but again the monster just managed to evade, Eli's scythe barely missing one of its wings.

For a little while this kept happening. Eli and Rin just barely missing their attacks while the shadow creature kept evading. Though, pretty quickly they figured out how to catch it. Rin positioned herself in front of the shadow for it to see her, while Eli snuck her way behind it. Once again, as Rin went to attack, the shadow evaded backwards. This time, Eli moved with Rin. As the shadow evaded backwards from Rin, it flew right into Eli's scythe. With one quick slash, the shadow turned into black mist and faded away.

"Okay, that felt good," Rin admitted.

Eli nodded. "Although, did you notice something strange while we were fighting?"

"Now that you mention it, it was a little strange how it never tried to attack us."

"That's true, too. But, don't these things usually travel in groups?"

Just then they both heard a noise that caused them to turn around. They just managed to catch sight of another shadow-bird flying away from them before it disappeared from view behind another snow hill.

"That can't be good…" Rin commented.

"Agreed, but at least we have something to work with. Let's head back to the others."

They quickly retraced their steps back. As the ship came into the view, they saw the others making their way off the ship again. Once they were close enough, they felt the cold air disappear in an instant.

"Much better," Honoka said, sighing in comfort.

"Looks like you got it to work," Rin said, looking at the glowing red card in Honoka's hand.

Maki nodded. "Yes, though it took a little longer than I thought. We had to make it so the spell would only affect us, and it wouldn't cause anything around us to melt."

"Well, seems to be working then," Eli said, observing the ground beneath them.

"So, were you two able to find any clues about where the Creator here is hiding?" Honoka asked the two knights.

Eli and Rin exchanged glances. "Well, we did find something," Eli answered. "Though, whether it will lead us to the Creator or not remains to be seen."

"Well, it's the only thing we have to work with right now," Kotori said. She gestured to Eli. "Lead the way."

As Eli and Rin led the group back to where they encountered the shadow creature, Rin went over what had happened. As she finished, they had arrived at the ice temple. Maria suggested they search the area to see if they could find anything that was causing the shadow's strange behavior.

"Has anyone found anything?" Honoka called out after a few minutes of searching.

"Nothing over here," Maria responded, still digging through snow.

"Nothing here either," Hanayo said by the ice altar.

"There has to be something… right?" Eli asked herself, starting to have doubt.

Just then they heard barking from behind the altar. They all rushed behind the structure to find Mimi in her wolf form. Beside her was a dug-up hole in the snow. Kotori walked over and looked inside.

"There's… nothing here," she said.

Mimi barked a few times. "She says she didn't dig it, that she found it like this," Nozomi told the others.

"Maybe the shadow we saw escaping took whatever was here," Rin thought.

"If Mimi's a wolf, couldn't she track it by scent?" Nico asked Nozomi.

"Unfortunately, she can't. Even if they're copying a living thing's form, since they don't have a form of their own, they don't leave any scent for Mimi to pick up." Nozomi sighed. "Would've been nice if it were the case though."

"Well, which direction did it fly off to?" Kotori asked.

Eli pointed. "That way, around that hill over there."

"I guess we're heading that way then."

* * *

What the group didn't realize as they started walking again was that they were being watched. Though, there wasn't any way for them to know, because their observer was tracking them where a normal human wouldn't be able to. As she watched them, a smile began forming on her lips.

"That's right, just a bit further. You're all just in time for the fun."

With one last flap of her wings, she descended from the skies.

* * *

**Hey everyone, nobodD here!**

**Had to squeeze one last post before 2015 ends, at least here where I live. It might already by the new year for you. Either way, I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and are looking forward to the new year.**

**Well, now that our girls have arrived, it's time to get this adventure back on track. Like I mentioned last chapter, there was going to be a bit more backstory about Nozomi and Tai. Also not exactly the action I was planning on having for this chapter, but I think the ending gives you a hint of what's about to happen next chapter. I already felt guilty I couldn't post before Christmas, so I just had to get something out for you guys ASAP. Sorry, but be patient with me a bit longer.**

**So who is this mysterious girl? Is she friend, or foe? And did that shadow creature make off with anything important?**

**I hope you stick around to find out~**


	34. Snowbirds

**Major Mike Powell III: It's okay, because I'm many more days late posting this chapter. So… it kinda works out? Haha. **

***Disclaimer: I do NOT own Love Live!**

* * *

_What's that sound?_

Nozomi looked around at the others. No one else seems to notice anything different.

_Am I the only one that hears that?_

She looked to her companion to her left, ears up and eyes scanning around.

_Mimi hears it, too. But she has better senses than humans. So… How am I hearing it?_

Nozomi continued to look around, but was still unable to find whatever it was that was disturbing her and Mimi. The feeling grew strong enough that she could now tie it to a presence and locate it. Though, she didn't like where it seemed to be. She turned and looked up, hoping to be wrong. Instead, she saw the form of something flying incredibly fast, down toward them.

"Everyone, look out!"

Of course rather than reacting on instinct, Nozomi suddenly yelling caused the others to turn to look at her. Though once they all turned they saw what Nozomi was warning them about. Nozomi ran to Nico, who was the closest to her, and tackled her down to the ground, the diving creature just barely missing them. The others all dove out of the way just in time to avoid it as well. Except for Honoka, who stood perfectly still as she watched the rapidly approaching figure. She noticed the creature had some kind of weapon with a blade pointed for her. Though, Honoka still wasn't worried. Before the blade could reach her, a black and gold sword came from her side and deflected the attack as the creature passed overhead. Honoka finally moved, turning around to follow as the figure continued its flight.

"It only went for me," Honoka commented.

"You're too popular for your own good," Kotori said as she stepped beside Honoka, eyes also fixed on their attacker.

Remarkably for how fast it was going, the creature managed to stop all of its momentum. It came to hover further ahead of them, turning to face them and revealing a human-like form. The only differences were the wings shaded in various purple, and the pointed ears that resembled a bird's. The _girl_ was wearing a light brown dress that stopped just above the knees and a white shirt underneath. Her black shoes had small purple wings, though likely just as decoration. She had short pink hair, but red eyes that seemed to glow. In one hand she held the weapon Honoka saw briefly, a spear with a crescent-shaped blade.

"Impressive," she said with a smirk. "As expected from a Kousaka."

"Who are you?" Honoka asked.

"Demon Lord Coco. A pleasure to meet you, Princess." Coco did a slight bow, though she was still smirking. "But you and your friends are too late. My powers have almost fully returned, and I'll finally be able to get my revenge on the Creators."

Coco snapped her fingers, and suddenly several of the shadow birds Eli and Rin fought appeared all around them. The others drew their weapons, eyeing the surrounding creatures and holding defensive stances, waiting to see if any of them would move first.

"I've wanted revenge on your father as well for his part in the War," Coco told Honoka. "My friends, my family, gone because of him. But now I'll be able to take something equally important from him."

"Sorry, but the only one meeting _that_ fate is you," Kotori said, taking a step forward, her sword still ready in her hand.

"How brave, I'll remember that as I finish you off."

"_We're going to have to end this quick. We're still maintaining the weather spell for the others after all,"_ Kotori heard Honoka say mentally as the princess drew her rapier.

"_Funny, I thought you would want to be more conservative because of the spell," _Kotori replied mentally.

"_But you want to go all-out, right? Besides, we have plenty power between the two of us to be a little reckless."_

Kotori smiled. _"Glad you agree."_

As Coco commanded her creatures to attack, Kotori and Honoka both charged straight for the demon. The two closest birds tried to react, but one slash from the duo got rid of them with ease. Seeing that, the other nearby birds decided to avoid them and went for the rest of the group.

* * *

Eli spun as she sidestepped a shadow bird's attack, swinging her scythe as she spun to slash the bird. With the shadows she had been fighting defeated, she took a quick look around the rest of the battle and spotted Rin surrounded by shadow birds. While the younger Knight was able to evade the swarm of attacks, she didn't have enough time for counter attacks. Eli moved to help, taking out two more birds on her way as well as two of Rin's attackers as she reached the younger Knight.

"Thanks Eli."

"No problem." Eli looked around. "Well this sure is harder than before."

"There's so many of them, it's hard to find an opening."

Just as the remaining shadows were about to attack them, the familiar sound of gunfire was heard and the birds around them burst into black mist and vanished. Both Knights turned to find Nico, who gave them a quick wink before jumping out of the way of a shadow bird before gunning it down. In the same direction they saw Umi doing the same, jumping aside from attacks while landing every arrow she shot.

"Looks like we found our opening," Eli said. "Guard Nico, Umi, and Hanayo, and make sure they have enough space to attack."

"Right. But what about Maria and Maki?"

They turned to the part of the field where the duo was. They were both focused on separate pairs of birds, and were slow backing up toward each other. Just when it looked like they would bump into each other, they both quickly spun around to face the other's targets. A quick spell from Maki and a pair of well-placed shots from Maria and the four shadows were gone.

"I think they'll be fine."

* * *

"_They're getting smarter."_ Nico thought as she dodged another attack.

Even with Eli, Rin, and Nozomi trying to create space for them, Nico noticed that the number of shadows swarming her doubled almost instantly. Whether it's because they realized which of them were the bigger threats, or because the three close-ranged fighters were being more defensive, Nico couldn't tell. All she knew was that her openings to attack were getting fewer and shorter as the battle went on.

As Nico jumped aside to avoid another attack, her foot hit something in the snow and caused her to fall down. Her pistols had slipped out of her hands and landed just outside her reach. She turned to see a shadow bird racing toward her. She closed her eyes, bracing herself for the pain.

But it never came. When she opened her eyes again, Nico saw Mimi pounce on the shadow bird and slash twice to take it out. Once the mist came and went, the wolf jumped back, eyeing another shadow bird in front of them. But before it could do anything, a bullet shot right through its head and sealed its fate. Seeing that, Mimi turned and ran up to Nico.

"Thanks, Mimi. I guess I owe you one, huh?"

Nico wasn't sure why, but she felt as though Mimi was smiling at her. Though, she could also sense that Mimi was watching behind her. She looked behind Mimi and saw two more shadow birds heading toward them. Grabbing her other pistol out of the snow, she shot and easily took out the shadows. With the bit of time she bought herself, she got back on her feet.

As she did, she glanced over to where Kotori and Honoka were fighting Coco. Kotori dashed at Coco, but the demon managed to jump to the side to avoid her attack. Quickly Kotori brought her sword up to catch Coco's spear. With some power Kotori managed to push Coco back, just in time as Honoka came from the side. Coco managed to react just in time, barely avoiding Honoka's rapier three times. But as Coco jumped back from the princess, her luck would end. She turned in time to see Kotori, but couldn't position her spear in time to properly block. The force behind Kotori's attack knocked the spear right out of the demon's hands. Honoka used magic on Kotori's landing spot so Kotori could quickly jump back to her, away from Coco.

"Not bad, not bad at all," the demon said.

"I'll admit it was fun, but it's over for you," Kotori said.

"Your creatures are all gone. Make it easy on yourself and give in now," Honoka said.

Coco saw it was true, as Maria shot the last of her shadow birds. However, the demon just smiled.

"Don't be so sure of yourselves."

Coco closed her eyes, and did something none of them would have ever expected. The demon started singing. It wasn't in a language they understood, but they could still tell it was singing. Kotori thought about moving in to attack, but something quickly stopped her from doing so. Suddenly everything went black. With a lot of effort, she kept herself from moving around too much in panic. Then she felt something grab her arm.

"_Kotori-chan, is that you?"_ she heard Honoka _think_. _"I can't see anything, what's going on?"_

Kotori didn't answer, instead trying to focus as much as she could. She heard the song getting louder, as if getting closer. Instinctively she and Honoka started stepping backwards. Suddenly the singing stopped, but their vision had not returned.

"I'm not a Demon Lord for nothing, you know," Coco taunted. "How do you like my blinding song? It only needs to be heard for a few seconds to take hold of my targets, and I'm able to maintain it after with my powers."

"It's a clever trick," Honoka admitted. "But we're not done yet."

"I admire your bravery, princess. But it won't help you now."

* * *

Nozomi slowly got herself ready during the conversation. She didn't want to draw the demon's attention away from Kotori and Honoka too soon. Without her sight, she put all her focus into her other senses.

"_A little more… Just a little more…"_

Then feeling the moment was right, she threw her spear with everything she could. She didn't hear the sound of her spear hitting Coco, but she also wasn't expecting it to hit. Instead she heard the demon cry out in pain. Mimi had come from behind, and while the demon was avoiding the spear, she clawed the demon as she passed by. Although Nozomi still couldn't see, she could feel that Mimi had returned to her side.

"Good girl," she praised.

* * *

"Oh, now you've done it."

The serious tone in Coco's voice was pretty unsettling for Nico, and it quickly got worse. Even without being able to see, Nico felt as though the demon's power was growing stronger. She was clearly able to sense Coco's presence even without being able to see the demon.

Suddenly she was able to sense another presence. It was a much more pleasant one to Nico, not the harsh feeling she got from Coco. Though, she sensed that the demon was quickly moving toward the new presence.

"_Nozomi!"_

In that instant, her vision cleared, and she was able to confirm her fear. Coco was moving quickly toward Nozomi and Mimi, both still blind and Nozomi without her spear. Without a second thought, Nico aimed both pistols and fired as fast as she could.

It worked. Coco stopped her charge as the first few bullets made contact with her body. The demon was forced away as more bullets flew its way. As Coco retreated, Nico finally noticed the spear with the crescent blade that the demon had been using in the snow a bit ahead of her. Putting away one of her pistols she grabbed it as she ran forward, dropping to the snow as she reached Nozomi and Mimi.

"Are you alright?" she questioned, not even trying to hide the worry in her voice.

"Nico…" Nozomi smiled. "Yeah, I'm fine, and I can see again. All thanks to you."

"You idiot! Why would you throw your weapon like that and leave yourself defense-less?!" she berated the girl before throwing her arms around her.

"I'm sorry… I'm sorry for lying to you."

"Idiot," Nico said with a smile, though they couldn't see each other because of their embrace.

Finally Nozomi noticed the spear in Nico's hand. "Hey, isn't that…"

"Yeah, it's the spear Coco was using. You're going to need a new one to fight with, right?"

"Thanks."

Rather than grabbing any part of the staff, Nozomi put her hand on top of Nico's holding the spear. As she did, the area around them started to glow, and Nozomi felt warmth growing inside of her. Before she might have been concerned about what was going on. But with everything that's happened to them on their adventures so far, she knew she had nothing to worry about. However, both Nico and Nozomi felt something that interrupted their moment. They turn to see Coco, her dark presence getting stronger again.

Nico sighed. "This demon is such a problem."

"Well, why don't we do something about it?"

Together, they lifted the spear, guiding it so the tip of the crescent blade was pointed at Coco. Not waiting for whatever would happen, Coco had begun charging at the pair. Nico and Nozomi focused on the spear, and after a moment, a beam shot out from the tip. In a short time, the beam grew before reaching Coco, completely consuming the demon in its light before exploding.

For a few moments, Coco was motionless in mid-air. Then as the demon began to fall, its body turned completely black and faded into dark mist. With the strong dark presence finally gone, the ten were able to breathe a sigh of relief.

Coco had been defeated.

* * *

**Hey everyone, nobodD here!**

**Not going to lie, I'm actually pretty proud with how I wrote this chapter. Which says a lot, because I usually hate my fight scenes, haha. Though, that ending was super anti-climactic. Still, pretty happy with how this chapter turned out overall.**

**I'll spoil a little bit right now, we're about to meet another of the Creators. Guess what that means? More story-telling. Yay…. Haha. But in all seriousness, there were a few things I put in this chapter that are going to be explained next chapter, so get ready for that. I'd like to cut down on these slow chapters, but this next one is pretty necessary. Sorry for those more into action. Also I want to say thank you to those that stick out my long update times and all these slow chapters. Hopefully they're worth the wait.**

**By the way, Coco's character is based off one of my favorite character's from a game series, though she isn't named Coco there. Props to you if you got the reference right away.**

**Anyways, we now have a third pairing officially set. With two pairings left to be established, can you guess which one will form first?**

**See you next time~**


	35. Ice Queen

**lychee-ran: 100% yes it is and thank you soo much for getting that X3 And I wanted her song to be the key reference, haha.**

***Disclaimer: I do NOT own Love Live!**

* * *

As Nozomi slowly opened her eyes, she was greeted by a familiar face. Mimi was sitting right by her, and was carefully keeping watch until Nozomi woke. Nozomi smiled at her longest companion.

"Ah, looks like you're finally awake," she heard someone say.

Looking up from where she lay, or looking behind Mimi, she saw Maria was also with them. The maid gave a warm smile while she continued to pet Mimi.

"Awake?" Nozomi asked.

Maria nodded. "Once the battle ended, both you and Nico collapsed where you were in the snow. We were worried for a second before Hanayo checked and said you both were just exhausted." The maid chuckled. "That beam attack you did must have taken a lot out of the both of you."

Nozomi's memories came back to her during Maria's explanation. A certain part stuck out the most.

"Where's Nico? Is she okay?"

Maria chuckled again. "You tell me. You haven't let her go the entire time."

It took a moment of confusion before Nozomi was finally aware of the warmth pressed against the front of her body. She looked down to find Nico sleeping peacefully, head resting peacefully against her chest. Their arms were wrapped around each other, which made Nozomi question how this wasn't the first thing she noticed. Though she was quickly distracted by how cute Nico looked.

Doing her best not to wake Nico, Nozomi looked around. The first scene she spotted was of Kotori, Honoka, and Maki. The princess was given the other two another lesson Nozomi guessed, just going off the fact that Kotori and Honoka weren't sitting in each other's arms, and were instead kneeling across from each other with Maki beside Kotori.

Next she spotted Hanayo, no surprising preparing food for everyone. Though what was a bit surprising was that Umi was helping her. And finally she spotted Eli and Rin, who were also not surprisingly keeping watch on the outside of their area.

She returned her gaze to Maria. "So, how long have we been out?"

"About fifteen minutes or so. I haven't gotten very far." For clarity, Maria held up a book in her other hand.

"You like reading?"

"Honoka-sama's massive collection of books isn't just for her, you know."

"I see." Nozomi wasn't quite sure what to make of that, so she decided to leave it at that. Much to her delight, she felt Nico begin to stir. Though, as she looked down, Nico caught her with a surprise kiss.

"There, now it's official," she said with a smile.

"Huh?" Nozomi was absolutely confused.

Maria chuckled. "Well, now that you're both awake, I'll give you two some private time."

She gave Mimi one last rub on the head before she got up, still not closing her book. She overheard Nico attempting to explain it, but it didn't sound like Nozomi was getting any closer to understanding it. _"Chuu? What?"_ was the last thing she heard before tuning out the lovers. Despite the short distance she was walking, she decided to read a couple more pages on the way.

* * *

"Well, we know what this spear is capable of," Eli said. "We know it's important, but how?"

"If it even is the spear," Nozomi said. "Holding it again, it doesn't feel like there's any of the power from before."

"Maybe it was because of Nico and Nozomi's Soul Link forming?" Honoka suggested.

"I wonder about that," Maki said. "I didn't sense a burst of power like when both of ours formed."

"Well, neither of us are magic users," Nico pointed out.

"Either way, we need to figure out how to activate the spear again if we want to find the Creator here," Maria said.

"What makes you say that?" Rin asked.

"Because the spear is still here. If it belonged to Coco, it would've disappeared with her when we defeated her. The fact that it's still here means she took it for some reason."

"Which brings us back to why…" Eli sighed, a bit frustrated by their lack of progress.

While the others were tossing around suggestions, Kotori was trying to work out a few more details in her head. It started giving her an idea, which had caught Honoka's attention.

"Do you think that will work?" the princess asked.

"There's no harm in trying, right?" Kotori replied.

The exchange left the others confused. But before any of them could ask, Honoka had stepped forward from the circle they were standing in around the spear. She placed both hands on the spear and started channeling her power.

After a few seconds where nothing happened, the spear started to glow. Honoka let go of the spear, and it slowly started to lift itself out of the snow. It stopped rising when the crescent blade was at about eye-level to everyone. The glowing got stronger, and the spear released a bright flash of light. Right after, the glowing immediately faded, and the spear fell back into the snow.

"Well that was… interesting?" Rin said, at a loss for words.

"Come on, let's go," Honoka said, starting to walk without waiting. Nozomi picked back up the spear and the others followed Honoka's lead.

"So, where did that idea come from?" Maria asked Kotori.

"Well before the fight, Coco said that she wanted to get revenge on Honoka's father as well as the Creators," Kotori explained. "Which meant that he must have played an important part during the War."

"If a demon wanted revenge on the King, then he probably helped the Creators win the War," Eli guessed.

Kotori nodded. "It's possible they shared a bit of their power to him as a gift. And seeing as how Honoka's powers are pretty unique…"

"She might have inherited that gift," Maki finished. "And using them would get the spear to react."

"Yeah. It was all just a guess, though."

"A pretty good guess," Eli said. "At least, that's what it looks like."

"She's right," Honoka said. "When the spear was shining, I heard a voice call out to me. It told me where it's hiding and how to find it."

"Speaking of the spear, did you want it back?" Nozomi asked.

"No, you can hold onto it. What am I going to do with a spear anyway?" the princess looked back. "Think of it as my gift to the new couple."

Hearing that, Nico and Nozomi looked in different directions and started to blush, earning a few chuckles from some of the others. Honoka noticed that the two weren't holding hands, though they were walking right next to each other. As she faced forward again, Kotori was walking alongside her, hand held out. Honoka smiled as she linked their hands together.

"Reading my mind again, hmm?"

"Can you two read each other's mind?" Hanayo asked. "Because the way you two fought together was amazing."

"I wouldn't really call it mind reading," Honoka replied first.

"More like we are able to communicate telepathically," Kotori finished.

"Really? When did that happen?" Rin asked.

Honoka looked to Kotori. "Now that you mention it…"

"I don't know… we kind of just realized it ourselves actually," Kotori explained.

"Maybe back at the inn?" Maki guessed. "Your Mark changed back then."

"True… What about you two?" Honoka asked.

"There was a little bit of change. We can't communicate, but we can sort of sense the other's emotions."

"Sounds like the way it started for us," Kotori said.

"… Looks like we're here," Honoka said, causing everyone to stop.

They stopped at a wall of snow, with double doors made of stone. There were several symbols carved on the doors, but none of it made sense to them. The only one they recognized was a simple crescent shape in the center. As they noticed it, the spear in Nozomi's hand began to shine again. She let go of it as it started to move on its own, getting closer to the door. Once the spear stopped moving and hovered in place, the crescent shape on the door started to slowly fill in with light. Once it was complete, the double doors opened themselves. The light faded from the spear and it once again fell into the snow.

Without a word the group walked forward through the doorway. They found a staircase leading down, stretching far so they couldn't immediately see the bottom. They did the only option they had and began walking down the stairs.

* * *

As they finally reached the bottom, they found a magic barrier at the end of a short hallway. This time, the spear in Nozomi's hand reacted on its own, glowing for a few seconds and dispelling the magic barrier. The light faded to reveal that it wasn't a hallway, but a large room. It was fairly empty for all the space, the only things to be seen were the crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling and a large mirror. There was a girl with silver hair in front of the mirror. Using the mirror they saw that the girl had brown eyes and was wearing a simple white dress. Through the reflection the girl's eyes met with Honoka's. She smiled in the reflection before turning around.

"Ah Princess, welcome." The silver-haired girl bowed.

"Thank you," Honoka replied, returning the gesture. "You must be…"

The silver haired girl nodded. "I am the Creator known as Anzu. It is a pleasure to finally meet you princess, as well as the rest of you."

"You know about us?" Kotori asked.

"That's correct, Kotori. I may not control dragons like Niadra, but I have my own ways of gathering information."

She held her hand out as she finished. Even against the white from the room, they were able to make out a small light hovering just above her palm.

"A fairy," Honoka said.

"This little one has been with your group since your arrival, so I've learned a little bit about you all. But we can save that for a bit later. First, I must thank you all for taking care of Coco. Nozomi, Nico, if you two could step forward. And bring the spear."

The two did as they were asked, walking up to Anzu. Nozomi held out the spear, which Anzu carefully picked up.

"You know, this spear belongs to me. I used it during the War, many years ago. Coco believed she could use it with her powers to bring back some of the demons that I had taken with it."

"Is that possible?" Maki asked.

Anzu shook her head. "There is a spell that keeps the magic within it locked unless I am holding the spear. However, I haven't used this spear since the War. I'm sure you can put it to better use than I can now, so I am giving it to you. Please place a hand on the spear, both of you."

Nozomi and Nico nodded, placing their hands on either side of Anzu's who was holding it with both hands toward the middle of the staff. Anzu closed her eyes as she concentrated, and the spear started to glow. After a few seconds, Anzu opened her eyes again, smiling as she looked between the two in front of her. Before anything could be said, Anzu let go of the staff and stepped back.

Once she did, a magic circle formed on the ground around them. Both Nozomi and Nico felt an unfamiliar feeling rush through their bodies. After a few moments, the light faded around them, and the unfamiliar feeling quickly disappeared.

"There, now the spear belongs to both of you. It will now allow you access to its power. And now that you both have a weapon, your Soul Link has fully formed. "

"Fully formed? What do you mean?" Honoka asked.

"Whether or not you realize it, your weapon is another part of you. It's like an extension of your soul, especially in the midst of battle. You might not have seen it, but Nozomi's spear was destroyed during your fight with Coco. And while the Soul Link was formed with Nico for their protection, because she no longer had a weapon belonging to her, the Link was incomplete."

"And now that you're giving your spear to Nozomi, the Soul Link was able to fully form," Eli finished.

"Exactly."

"Wait, so if the spear was only supposed to react to you before, how were Nico and Nozomi able to use it against Coco?" Maki asked.

"That would be because of the princess here," Anzu explained. "If you didn't already know, the King and Queen had helped us during the War, back when they were still a prince and princess themselves. It was due to their aid that our side came out the victors. As a sign of gratitude, we blessed them with a portion of our powers. And as their first child, the Princess here inherited that blessing."

"So the spear was actually reacting to Honoka?" Maki asked.

"For the most part, yes. After all, Nico and Nozomi don't use a high amount of magic like some of you do. The Princess here helped them at that time, whether she was aware of it or not." Anzu looked to Nico and Nozomi again. "Though, now that the spear belongs to the both of you, it's up to you to learn to use its full potential properly."

Neither said anything, just nodding in reply.

"You said you blessed my parents with your powers, and that I inherited that power, right?" Honoka stepped forward and asked. "Is it possible that you can teach me more about it?"

Anzu gave her a curious look. "You would like special training? But aren't you in a hurry?"

"Well… that's true. But if this will help us against the demons, then I want to be as prepared as possible."

Seeing the resolve in Honoka's eyes, Anzu smiled. "Very well. How soon would you like to begin?"

"As soon as possible."

Anzu nodded then cast her gaze to the whole group. "While we are away, I will make sure you are properly attended to during your stay. Rest as much as possible, because it this should finish before long." She looked back to Kotori and Honoka. "Are you two ready?"

"Me too?" Kotori asked.

"Of course. Through your Soul Link with the Princess, the power is yours to use as well. So you must join in the training."

Kotori shrugged. "Well, I guess I was expecting as much anyway."

"Well, let us depart then."

Anzu turned and walked up to her mirror. She placed her hand against it, which was there for a second before sinking into the mirror and causing the surface to ripple. With a few steps Anzu disappeared completely into the mirror.

"And here I thought I was going to get a bit of rest for once," Kotori sighed.

Honoka shook her head. "Come on, let's follow."

One after the other, Kotori and Honoka followed Anzu through the mirror acting as a portal.

* * *

**Hey everyone, nobodD here!**

**So sorry for such a long absence . Lots of things have been on my mind lately. Work has kept me busy, also games and reading take a lot of free time. Still didn't want to be away for as long as I was without telling you all, so again Sorry for sudden disappearance *bows***

**Okay well back to the story, so as mentioned before, this chapter was going to explain some things revealed in the last chapter. Of course with a newly established couple, the beginning is for them to have some fluff together. By the way, the last part of the first scene is a reference to something a friend of mine says all the time. I had to include it because I saw it while going through some other stores and seeing the line again, haha.**

**So we meet another of the Creators, Anzu. And to point it out now, yes we're going to follow a very typical theme. Niadra was in the dessert, and Anzu was in an ice land, maybe you can guess where those relations are going. And also yes, they're going to play more of a part later in the story, not just being rescued by the party.**

**Mm… nothing else to say really. I know this isn't an excited chapter to come back to, so I'll try making the next one interesting again.**

**Hopefully see you next time~**


	36. Mind Games

***Disclaimer: I do NOT own Love Live!**

* * *

Almost as soon as Anzu, Honoka, and Kotori disappeared through the mirror, a number of fairies appeared around the remainder of the group. Though small, seeing dozens of them appear at one time made the group a little uneasy. However, that feeling was quickly swept away by what followed.

"Ah… this feels amazing."

Feeling completely relaxed, Rin sighed contently.

Currently, the fairies that appeared were spread out around the room performing various tasks. There were two fairies by each girl, covering them in a light blue light. The light had incredible healing powers, clearing away all of the fatigue and stress that Rin didn't even realize her body was feeling and leaving her in a renewed state.

When they had first arrived, the room was nothing more than two pieces of furniture and empty walls. But when the fairies approached the walls, doorways appeared to reveal connecting rooms. To the left seemed to be a kitchen, as fairies flew in and out bringing plates of food for everyone. On the right was Anzu's bedroom. Although it seemed like they were allowed inside, everyone chose to stay in the center room instead.

"You're right. It feels like all my troubles are being cleansed away."

Eli agreed while letting out a relaxed sigh. Rin noticed how calm she looked right now, compared to her usual look she adopted as commander of the Knights. She couldn't help but think how pleasant Eli looked right now.

Attempting to stop her thoughts from going any further, she cast her gaze to her friends around the room. She spotted Nico and Nozomi sitting side by side at one end of the room. They seemed to just be talking, although their gazes would occasionally meet and both would quickly turn away. Although the majority of the time, their eyes were both fixed on the other couple sitting at another end of the room. It wasn't hard to understand why either.

Maria and Maki were sitting face to face, rather than side by side. Maki had both her hands on her lap, head down and eyes closed. Maria also sat with her hands in her lap, but she had her head up and her gaze was fixed forward. You could say she was looking at Maki, or you could say she was focused on the object floating between them. In addition to the fairies healing them, an extra fairy was holding a rod with an ice cube attached on a string at the end. The fairy was floating up and down, left and right in random patterns. Although Maria wasn't visibly moving her eyes, experience told Rin that the maid was tracking it.

And then it happened in an instant. Maki's right hand shot up from her lap. The fairy attempted to pull the cube up, but it was no match for Maki's sudden speed. The young mage caught the cube in her hand and the fairy was forced to release the rod. Maki fixed her posture and sat up right, a smile forming as she revealed the ice cube in her palm. Maria smiled as well, picking a snack out of a nearby bowl and feeding it to Maki. Then the roles switched. Maria lowered her head and closed her eyes as Maki held the cube up for the fairy to hold once again.

"That's fifteen in a row between the two of them now."

Umi commented from Rin's other side. Like the rest of them, she had been transfixed on the couple's activities since the two had started.

"Their bond doesn't look as weak as they say with that kind of result."

It was Hanayo this time who commented, sitting on Umi's other side. Between them, Umi nodded.

"But still, it's nice how dedicated they both are. Doing whatever they can to practice and grow closer together, even when they could be resting."

"It's not that surprising. Maki learned from a young age about working hard for what she wants, and Maria is Honoka-sama's maid for a reason."

Eli reminded them of the two's backgrounds in a casual way. The other three simply nodded as fell back into silence while relaxing under the fairies' healing light and watching the couple practice.

"_For them to talk about those things so easily..."_

Maki sighed in her mind. Whether or not the group of four realized it, their voices were barely loud enough to carry over to where they sat.

"Relax. It's not like they mean anything bad by it."

Maria replied to Maki's thoughts in an almost inaudible whisper. Through their mental connection, Maki could feel comfort coming from Maria. While they still weren't at the stage to communicate mentally like Kotori and Honoka, they were already able to clearly understand each others' feelings and emotions through their Link thanks to the exercise with the ice cube.

Maki felt they were quickly approaching that same level of Mental Connection. They were already able to sense what the other was sensing, which allowed them to do this exercise. With feelings and emotions now also clearly shared between them, Maki concluded that communication was the last thing for them.

With their goal in mind, both refocused on their practice.

* * *

"Again."

Although kind a second ago, Anzu's face become serious as she demanded another round. Although Honoka was starting to feel the strain of the repeated attempts, she knew how important this was, so she nodded and got herself ready.

Anzu didn't hesitate. At the moment Honoka gave confirmation, she swung her right arm out and cast her spell. Blue mist formed momentarily in the air in front of Anzu before shooting forward toward Honoka.

Honoka reacted in kind. She raised her rapier in front of her and cast a shield spell. Although the shield was placed a few meters in front of her, Honoka still felt strain from the impact of Anzu's spell crashing into her shield.

_10... 9... 8..._

10 Seconds, that's how long Honoka needed to hold Anzu's spell off.

7... 6... 5...

Sooner than the last couple attempts, Honoka started to feel incredible strain from maintaining the shield against such a strong continuous spell.

4...

Her focus wavered ever so slightly, and the ice started pushing the shield in.

3... 2...

Honoka did her best to focus, but the pain to her mind still increased.

1... 0!

Almost as soon as the 10 seconds were up, she felt a familiar presence rush to her side from behind her. The blade of a sword, whose design was the same as her rapier, came into view. As soon as the blades touched, the pain Honoka was enduring from the ice was released all at once. The barrier pushed back to its original position. Honoka let out a relieved sigh.

But they both knew it wasn't over yet.

Kotori flashed a smile to Honoka before she began her part. Looking ahead where the ice spell was clashing with the shield, she began to think. She imagined a wall strong enough to resist that spell, even if it was for a second. To proceed, they would need to move out from behind their defense and switch to offense.

There was no opening present, so she had to _create_ one.

As if responding to that desire, the wall she had been imagining in her mind began to materialize in front of them. The base formed in an instant, but that was no where near strong enough to resist Anzu's power for long enough. So Kotori remained focus, continually altering the material to become stronger.

What Kotori was doing required almost complete focus. Should she lose focus even by a little bit, then everything would fall apart. Because of such an extreme condition, she couldn't even communicate mentally with Honoka to signal when the moment was ready or to plan their next move.

Kotori knew that she didn't need to communicate with her either. She knew that when she _felt_ the moment was right, Honoka would know as well.

And that moment was now.

Kotori finished her thought and the wall became reality. Just as it was fully formed, Honoka released her shield spell and both girls jumped in opposite directions, Honoka to the left and Kotori to the right. As expected, the wall only stood for a second against Anzu's spell before it broke through, despite it being a nearly unbreakable material in most cases.

"_What power..."_

Kotori couldn't help but think, both in admiration and in slight fear.

In the short moments from releasing her shield and dodging to the side, Honoka started to build up magic within her. At the same time she thought about her next spell, which fired light arrows at her target. As her feet touched the ground, the spell she was imagining set itself up in an instant, with five light arrows appearing around her. With a quick flick of her wrist, the magic she built up inside of her released all at once, causing the spell to activate and the light arrows to shoot toward Anzu.

Though, Honoka didn't aim the spell for the Creator herself. To her right, Kotori had began rushing forward as soon as she touched down from her jump. Anzu created ice shards and shot them at Kotori as a response. Kotori had sensed the counter-attack from the start, which was only about a split-second of time. But that was enough of a window for Honoka. With perfect accuracy, her light arrows intercepted the ice shards and allowed Kotori to continue her advance.

Anzu held her ground and prepared another counter. Both Kotori and Honoka sensed the magic build-up, but they weren't focused on the same thing. Anzu attacked with two different spells. One was a rain of ice shards from above, while the other was erupting shards from the ground.

Kotori focused on predicting the shards erupting from the ground, building a bit of magic to help her evade. She sensed a very small window for her to escape, and releasing magic at her feet, she kicked off the ground and jumped forward and to the right. She narrowly cleared the distance before the ice shard popped up where Kotori was not even a second ago.

Anzu had predicted Kotori would be able to dodge. Rather than having aimed the two spells at Kotori and Honoka separately, Anzu had meant both spells for Kotori. The ice shards from above were aimed at the area Kotori had evaded towards. The timing was to work out that before Kotori could land and jump again, the shards should fall.

Of course, Honoka wouldn't let that happen.

Her view of Kotori was interrupted intentionally by Anzu using the erupting ice. And with the timing of the second attack, Honoka wouldn't have enough time to make a wall big enough and strong enough to fully block the attack.

Even so, Honoka was determined not to fail.

Using their Link to find Kotori in her mind, Honoka quickly imagined her defense. She prioritized strengthening the wall and decided on making the wall just big enough for Kotori to fit behind. With conviction she accelerated the build-up process and materialized the wall. A soon as it became reality, Kotori pushed her body against it. The shards that made contact with the wall shattered. The rest landed around Kotori where the wall didn't reach.

Importantly, Kotori remained uninjured.

But she knew she couldn't waste time on that. She quickly got back up and ran forward, moving to the right to dodge another spell sent her way. Finally having closed enough distance, Kotori switched her mindset from defense to offense.

For the first time during this, Anzu's expression wavered.

Knowing she would be at a disadvantage the closer Kotori got, Anzu was forced to fall back. She used very quick spells as she did, but they did nothing in stopping Kotori as she closed in quicker than Anzu could fall back.

Kotori saw the opening, and she committed fully to it. She waited until Anzu had used another small spell, and in the moment she was casting it, Kotori released the magic she built up to move at an almost blinding speed. She swung her sword as she overtook Anzu, but the Creator managed to defend against the blade at just the last moment.

Having cut off Anzu's escape path, Kotori knew she had the advantage.

Anzu knew it as well, and she got a little more desperate.

She sent another freezing mist at Kotori while turning around and creating a barrier, just a moment before Honoka's rapier could reach her. The moment she realized her strike didn't make contact, Honoka jumped backward to create some distance.

On the other side of Anzu, Kotori had rolled out of the way of the mist. As soon as she was on her feet, both Kotori and Honoka closed in on Anzu. Predicting this, Anzu jumped to the side just as Kotori's sword came down.

As she did she, realized too late that it was only one blade.

Rather than going straight for Anzu like Kotori, Honoka moved to the side she knew Kotori would force Anzu to go with her sword. As soon Anzu started to jump, Honoka used magic at her feet while kicking off the ground to move almost instantaneously.

Anzu's body started to turn toward Honoka, only for her to stop when she felt a blade pressed against her side. She turned her head further to see the princess beside her, smiling.

"Gotcha."

* * *

Following the end of the round, the space they were in almost instantly repaired itself to look brand new. Not a trace what they had done was left, and it looked as empty as when they had first arrived.

"So... How did we do?"

Honoka was the first to ask for Anzu's assessment.

"Hmm... Let's see..."

Anzu had already decided on what to say. But she wasn't about to pass up the chance to get back at the duo she had just lost to. So she put a finger to her cheek and tilted her head as if thinking.

"You two quickly learned how to utilize the Gift's special properties to strengthen your magic, cast spells nearly instantly, and to create objects. Because of that, we proceeded to test how well you could utilize your Gift during combat. The goal was to land a single strike on me."

Anzu proceeded to summarize the events of their training and what led to their fight. Kotori and Honoka exchanged glances, both having quickly caught on to Anzu's stalling. Realizing she had been found out already, Anzu offered a smile before continuing.

"The goal was to achieve success within 10 attempts. Seeing as how it took only four, I would say you've passed this training and have mastered utilizing the Creator's Gift."

Hearing that, Kotori and Honoka's expressions relaxed significantly.

"Thank goodness."

Honoka let out a relief expression.

"_I'm surprised though. It takes partner's with Soul Links years together to pull off some of the combinations these two were doing. Most never reach that point. Yet for these two to be so closely Linked together already..."_

Anzu thought that while offering a smile to the two in front of her.

"I have one final thing to tell the two of you two."

Ending her reflection, Anzu called back for the couple's attention.

"Be very careful. While it's true you finished this training, you've only mastered controlling the Creators' Gift within you. There's still the demon magic you possess that you must be cautious of."

Hearing Anzu's warning, both Kotori and Honoka made surprised faces.

"Demon magic?"

Honoka echoed. Anzu nodded.

"Just like you inherited our gift through your parents, Kotori inherited demon magic from her mother. Though they have been suppressed for the most part, because I'm not familiar with what it can do, I can only caution you about it for now."

Anzu made a fairly grim expression compared to her usual smile, which made the girls realize how serious this was.

"Is there a way for us to get rid of it?"

Although Kotori asked, she had a feeling of what the answer would be. Seeing Anzu shake her head confirmed it.

"As I have said, I'm not familiar enough with its properties to answer that. If you get a chance to learn more about it somehow, I encourage you to do so as long as it doesn't put either of you at risk."

Anzu's voice sounded almost like she was pleading. Sensing that, Honoka nodded.

"Don't worry. Kotori-chan has been suppressing it so far, and it should be easier now with the both of us in control."

"We also won't go risking anything just to try anything out."

Kotori agreed with Honoka and added her own promise. Anzu couldn't help but smile and nod.

"Very well. Shall we return?"

* * *

**Hey everyone, nobodD here!**

**As a quick little comment, this chapter might look a little different than my usual writing. I was experimenting with a slightly different writing style. Just thought I'd let anyone who noticed know, haha.**

**Anyway, moving onto the chapter. So the opening is just supposed to be a light scene, as I wanted the training to be the main focus of the chapter. I didn't want it to be a completely boring scene, so I threw in Maria and Maki's little exercise. **

**As for the properties of the Creator's Gifts, it has a lot of influence on something I just binge-read heavily over the last week or so. It was an idea I personally loved, and it fit perfectly with my intent of giving Kotori and Honoka something just for them to use but that wasn't overly broken for the rest of the story. There are going to be moments where they can't brute force their way through, so I had to give them something that wouldn't ruin that.**

**Sorry, _again_, about the long wait time between updates now. I'm either working too much, gaming too much, or reading too much, that I don't always get to writing. At the least I've lessened the amount of games I play each day, and I'm not 1000% invested in this new series I started reading. So, in theory I should have more time. But we all know how that goes, haha... Sorry t.t**

**Anyway, hopefully I didn't just drive people off by admitting that. See you next time~**


	37. Insecurities

**lychee-ran: As much as I want to start writing about the Aqours girls in general, I'm going to have to hold back and say no for now. I want to get to know them better first before I feel I'm ready to start writing for them.**

***Disclaimer: I do NOT own Love Live!**

* * *

"Thank you for everything."

They stopped just shy of where their boat was docked and turned back around.

Given the situation and the little time they felt they were working with, the group unanimously decided to leave as soon as Kotori, Honoka, and Anzu returned.

"It is no trouble at all. It was nice to make some new friends after so long."

Anzu responded honestly with a smile. Before turning around she said one last thing.

"Good luck. I am counting on you all."

After exchanging goodbyes they went their separate ways, Anzu back to her place while the group boarded their ship. With information from Anzu, they set off for their next destination.

"Forever Forest. Not a very comforting name."

Rin repeated the name while remarking. Eli smiled while replying.

"It's not like the Creators would find a nice beach to hide at."

"I know, but still…"

"After being in a desert and then an ice land, at least we're going somewhere a bit more stable."

Kotori tried to help by offering her opinion. Though, she was met with an amused look from Honoka beside her.

"Do you really believe that?"

"Hey, just trying to be positive."

"What worries me is what little information we have to work with."

This time it was Maria who spoke up. Umi was the one to respond to the maid's concern.

"Considering the forest is located deep into Felgana territory, it's not surprising that almost nothing is known about it."

"Sure, but it's the fact that not even Anzu knows anything about it. And for the fairies she sent there to disappear without a trace…"

Everyone was silent for a few moments after Maria recalled the last bit of information Anzu revealed to them before their departure. After a while, Maki broke the silence with a question that had been bothering her since they had left.

"So why is it called the Forever Forest?"

"Well that's because-"

Rin started to answer but paused when she realized Maki's point. The others were brought out of their previous thoughts as well.

"Now that you mention it, there has to be a reason for its name right?"

Hanayo asked, causing the others to nod in agreement. Nico also chimed in.

"I guess that means someone found out something about the forest and was able to return to tell about it."

"I'm not sure it matters. It's not like we have the time to look for this person and ask them about it."

Nozomi reminded them of their current situation and the time they were working with. Honoka nodded as well.

"Nozomi is right. I think just knowing someone made it out of the forest is enough. If they can, then we can too."

Somehow, Honoka's confidence and positive attitude was enough to dispel the last of their doubts. Though, as their expressions started to relax, Rin spoke up.

"We still haven't come up with a plan."

"Well to start, we should probably head to Dahngrest. It'll put us as close to the Forest as possible before having to step into Felgana territory."

"Is it really that dangerous? After what we've been through so far, I feel like a couple of mercenaries or criminals aren't a big deal."

After hearing Kotori's suggestion, Maki decided to ask. Though, it was Nico who answered her.

"While I agree that we could handle them easily, I feel it's better to go with Kotori's plan. We don't need to go around picking fights if we don't have to."

"You also want to check on the situation there, don't you?"

At that moment, Honoka looked up to Kotori from beside her and asked. Although she could have asked mentally, Kotori knew her partner was explaining it to the others by asking out loud, so she nodded.

"Yeah. I know we don't have a lot of time, so I just want to pass by and see what's happened since we left."

Eli clapped her hands together, seeming to have made a decision.

"Then I think that settles it. Once we reach port, we'll head to Dahngrest and then the Forever Forest."

* * *

Once their meeting had ended, everyone had left the room to pass time until they reached Capua Torim. Aside from Nozomi, who was navigating the ship, only Nico and Kotori had stayed. Rather than following Honoka, Kotori decided that opportunities like this are too uncommon for her to pass up. After a few seconds of silence, Kotori turned to the couple.

"So, how does it feel?"

Nico looked at Nozomi for a few more moments, but no movement came. Her partner continued to focus her gaze out the window. Looking down at her hands, Nico responded to Kotori.

"Honestly, I don't feel much different compared to normal. But I'm guessing that's to be expected, since it only just happened."

"I don't think that's true."

Surprised by that, Nico looked to Kotori. She saw the girl looking back at her with a gentle smile similar to Honoka's.

"It's okay to be honest. You have been feeling a little different, maybe not physically but somewhere within. But you don't want to admit it."

As if ashamed of what she heard, Nico slowly looked away from Kotori and back down at her hands on her lap.

"… Yeah, I have noticed something. It feels like I'm directly connected with Nozomi now. But… it scares me a little."

"So you feel that way as well."

Both Kotori and Nico looked up to Nozomi after hearing her speak. Nozomi's head was slightly turned toward them, glancing at them out of the corner of her eye while still able to pay attention to the ship at a moment's notice.

"I've noticed the connection too. I realized right away that it was you, Nico. And, I was a little scared as well realizing that. I know we won't be able to see within each other as much as Kotori and Honoka are able to yet. Even so, how much are you able to see of me right now? Thinking that you might not see me the same if you find out too much just-"

Nozomi's confession was cut off when she felt a pair of arms wrap around her from behind. She immediately knew who it was, yet the warm the started to feel was doing wonders for her anxious emotions to calm down.

"If that's what you're afraid of, then don't be. Although I was worried about that myself, hearing that you share the same fear makes it a little easier on me. You don't need to say anything you don't feel comfortable with, even with me, okay?"

Hearing Nico's words brought a smile to Nozomi's face. With an _okay_ as a response, she nodded and put one of her hands on top of Nico's around her waist. Satisfied, Kotori quietly stood from her chair and made her way toward the door.

"And Kotori, thank you."

Kotori stopped at the door and turned back. Both Nico and Nozomi were looking at her with smiles.

"Just doing what I can to help."

Leaving that behind, Kotori turned forward and opened the door. As she stepped out into the corridor, she saw a familiar cat waiting nearby. She knelt down to stroke its head.

"They're all yours."

She whispered to the cat, and it seemed to understand. Kotori waited for it to make its way into the room before closing the door, then proceeded down the corridor.

* * *

"Somehow, I didn't expect to find you out here like this."

Hearing the voice approaching from behind her, Rin turned her gaze away from the sea to a more familiar sight.

"Honoka."

It still took a bit of effort for Rin to keep from addressing the princess formally, but seeing the smile that Honoka had made it worth the extra thought.

"Mind if I join you?"

"I don't mind at all."

Honoka walked up to join Rin at the rail of the ship. She closed her eyes and enjoyed as a pleasant wind blew by. The two enjoyed a few moments of silence before Honoka began.

"Maybe it isn't my place to say this, but it's probably better for you if you just told her how you feel."

"Huh, what are you talking about?"

"You know what I'm talking about. I saw you staring at her throughout the entire meeting."

Rin couldn't help but widen her eyes in surprise at the realization that she had been caught. She turned to Honoka, meeting a serious expression from the princess.

"You like her, don't you?"

Realizing she couldn't avoid the conversation, Rin sighed and nodded.

"Yeah, I like her."

"Then, why not just tell her how you feel?"

"It's not that simple."

"Why not?"

Rin hesitated, not sure if she should reveal the Honoka the thoughts that have been bugging her for a while now. Honoka waited patiently, the entire time not taking her eyes off the Knight. Finally, Rin decided it was worth getting her thoughts out and seeing if Honoka could help her.

"To be honest, I'm afraid of what happens if things don't work out. We're all back together again, and look at how well everyone gets along with each other now. I don't want to risk someone leaving and breaking our group apart because of me."

"I see. And, are you okay with that?"

"… Not really. When I see the way you and Kotori are together, or Maria and Maki, or now even Nozomi and Nico… Sometimes I wish for something similar. All this stuff about Soul Links has me wondering if I'll ever find someone like that for myself. And even while there's a chance, I'm afraid of doing anything about it and risk ruining things for everyone."

"Hmm… Well, for now at least, maybe that is for the best."

"… What?"

Rin was at a loss for words, completely caught off guard. She was expecting Honoka to counter what she had said, not agree with her. For a split second, she thought she might have misheard, but Honoka's expression never changed. Seeing Rin's hesitation, Honoka sighed and continued.

"Do you have a reason that she would say no to you?"

"I… Well, not really… But-"

"Because there isn't a reason. You're a loyal friend, a hard worker, always thinking about others. The only problem I see is that you don't seem to have enough confidence in yourself. She would have to be some kind of idiot to turn you down. And even if it came to that, I'd go up to her and personally-"

Honoka stopped midsentence, catching herself as she realized what she was about to say. She coughed into her hand to recompose herself, and cool down her slightly heated cheeks.

"Anyway, the point is that you're a wonderful girl and you need to have more confidence in yourself."

Still slightly shocked from such a rare display from the princess, Rin didn't react immediately. After a few moments passed and Rin finally realized what Honoka had said, she couldn't help but smile. Seeing her words finally reach the Knight, Honoka smiled in return.

"Thank you, Honoka. That means a lot coming from you."

"Anything to help a friend. Well, I'm going to head inside."

"Alright. I'm going to stay out here for a while longer and decide what to do."

"Okay. Remember no matter what you decide, we'll all still be together."

Seeing Rin nod, Honoka turned around and started walking back. Before re-entering the ship, she took one last look at Rin, who had gone back to staring out at the ocean. Though unlike before, she could see a faint smile still on the Knight's lips. Satisfied, Honoka continued on.

* * *

Eli made her way toward the back of the ship. She figured it was her best chance at finding some time to herself for a chance. However as she arrived, she found someone already there, apparently having the same idea as the blond Knight.

"Well what a surprise. I wasn't expecting anyone else to come back here."

Becoming aware of Eli's presence, the girl turned away from the rail, her blue hair swaying with the wind as she did so.

"Oh, hello Eli."

"Hello Umi. I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"

The archer shook her head. "Not at all."

"That's good. Do you mind if I join you?"

"I don't mind. There's actually something I want to talk to you about."

Eli nodded as she joined Umi beside the rail. A few moments passed in silence as they watched the waves break and retreat in the distance. Before long, Umi decided to speak up.

"How do you feel about what's happening with the others."

"Hmm, what do you mean?"

"This whole thing with the Soul Links."

"Well, I think it's kind of nice. From a strategic standpoint, it gives us a lot more to work with when we fight these demons. And from a personal standpoint, it seems to make those affected happier. So I don't really see…" Eli paused, realizing something in what she just said. She turned to Umi. "How do you feel about it?"

"… It's complicated. On the one hand, I'm also glad that it's bringing them together. But… it also makes me feel a bit lonely again."

Umi's saddened expression along with her response answered Eli's suspicions. She turned away from the archer.

"I see… So you feel that way as well."

It was Umi's turn to look at Eli. "Wait, you feel that way too?"

Eli nodded slowly.

"I didn't really think too much about it when it was just Kotori and Honoka. But after it happened again with Maria and Maki, and even again with Nozomi and Nico, it made me start to wonder… what my place is in all this..."

Hearing her same thoughts from Eli, Umi turned back out to the ocean.

"Yeah… It feels like we don't belong…"

"At first it did, but after some more thinking, I realized that wasn't the case at all."

Umi once again looked to Eli in surprise. This time Eli met her gaze, a smile on the blonde's lips as she continued.

"Honoka wants to fight for the Creators, she wants to help them. And the rest of us, not because of love, but because we're her friends, are together again to help her. That's what we're here for, to aid her in this fight."

Umi didn't respond at first, but a smile slowly crept onto her face.

"That was probably the cheesiest, most Honoka-like thing you probably could have said. But you're right. We're here for Honoka, and therefore we're here to help the Creators. There's no room for this useless self-doubt."

Eli smiled. "That's the spirit."

"Thanks Eli, that really helped."

"Anytime. Now let's get back to the others, where we belong."

* * *

**Hey everyone, nobodD here!**

**I'm truly sorry that this is SO late. I'm actually about to leave for vacation soon, so the last month or so I've been working my butt off to save up as much money as I can so I have spending money for this trip. But because of that, I pretty much dropped all my free time, which included writing. It's not what you guys deserve though, which really upsets me thinking about it. I'll be away for about 10 days, so I'll try to make it up to you when I return!**

**To those that stick around despite how bad I am as an author now, I truly thank you for your support (heart)**

**Keeping it short because again, I'm leaving for a flight soon. Bye!~**


	38. Divide

**lychee-ran: Yeah Umi hasn't had a lot of focus thus far. But you're right, once that pairing is up she'll have more time.**

***Disclaimer: I do NOT own Love Live!**

* * *

They reached Torim Harbor early the next morning. As planned, they took the transport system toward Dahngrest. Without an ambush to interrupt them this time, they managed to reach the capital city by the afternoon. Not trying to draw too much attention, they took various paths to avoid the main street as much as possible while still making their way toward the heart of the city.

"You know, I was sort of expecting things to look a little different here."

Looking around at the various buildings since they entered the city, Maki voiced her thoughts. She held hands with Maria as they went, the maid guiding as the young mage's attention was everywhere but where they were walking.

"Well the only thing that was actually damaged was the inside of the HQ building. Still, it doesn't feel like much has changed since we defeated Asriel."

"It could be that most of the city is still unaware. After all, Asriel was able to control other people's minds. There's a chance she kept her existence hidden from their minds the entire time."

Eli answered the pair with her own guess. The others started to join in with their own questions and guesses. The only two who didn't were Kotori and Honoka, who were quietly leading the rest of the group through the alleyways. Because it was about her mother, Kotori didn't want to join in, and Honoka was content with helping keep her partner distracted from the subject.

Eventually the group was in front of the HQ building. They stopped to look around, seeing no one around in the area. Feeling safe from unwanted attention, the group emerged from the alley into the street. Maki looked around at the area.

"You know, without seeing anyone here, it almost feels like the place is abandoned."

Just then, Kotori heard a very faint sound coming from the building. She scanned the exterior of the building, her free hand very slowly getting ready to summon her sword.

"Hehe, it's nice to see you all again."

The sound of a familiar voice drew everyone's attention to the nearest corner of the building as a figure stepped out. Just like their first encounter, the girl wore a black dress with a piano pattern on the bottom and a matching cap with a crescent moon on it. The only difference between then and now was that her parasol was closed instead of open. Honoka was the first to recover and respond.

"Yui, nice to see you again."

"What are you still doing here in Dahngrest?" Kotori asked.

"Well as it turns out, a lot of members stationed within the HQ were Asriel's summons," Yui began explaining. "With her gone, they disappeared as well, leaving a lot less people here for the time being. So my sister and I are acting as Wingul's personal guards."

"And you're okay with that?" Honoka asked.

The petite girl shrugged. "It isn't too difficult a task, hardly anything has happened since you all left. It also pays well enough, and I can't say no to that. But enough about me, what brings you all back so soon?"

"Ah, well we came to Dahngrest to resupply, and thought we could stop by and check up on things while we were here."

"Oh? And where are you all off to?"

"The Forever Forest."

Yui's eyes widen in surprise. "The Forever Forest? Why do you need to go there?"

"It's a long story," Kotori answered, shooting Honoka a bit of a look before returning her attention to Yui. "Is my father available?"

Despite how subtle the couple's exchange was, Yui noticed it. She regarded the couple for a moment before answer Kotori.

"I'm afraid not. He has meetings scheduled throughout the day, and is currently in one as we speak."

"I see… That's too bad. Well, we probably should get going then."

"So soon?"

"Yeah, we're actually in a bit of a hurry."

Although her eyes almost didn't move, Yui noticed the rest of the group's mixed expressions throughout the conversation. Though without knowing much about the situation herself, she couldn't really make much of it aside from Kotori seeming to be acting different than they were used to. Deciding to try and help a little, she spoke up.

"In the old store in the abandoned part of the city, there's an access underneath the counter to a hidden cache. You should find what you need there."

"Thank you. Maybe next time we can properly catch up."

Yui smiled as she waved them goodbye, amused by Honoka's parting. Again she noticed that the others in the group seem to understand as little of what was going on as she did. But again she decided now wasn't the time to worry about it.

As they disappeared from her view, she heard a new set of footsteps coming from the main road. She turned her attention that way, still smiling as she saw the people she was looking forward to since she heard they were coming.

* * *

"Well she wasn't kidding when she said that this place would have what we need."

Having located the secret cache Yui had indicated for them, the group went about gathering all the supplies they needed. As the two of them packed one of their bags, Honoka decided to bring up what was bugging her.

"You really wanted to see your father earlier, didn't you?"

"Well it would've been nice, but we have other things to worry about for the moment," Kotori responded, not taking her attention of their task.

"But if you wanted to, you could've just said something, you know?"

Kotori realized then what Honoka was getting at. The two stopped what they were doing and looked at each other, knowing smiles on their faces.

"I thought maybe my father might know something that could help us, considering _what_ my mother actually was. Don't worry about it, I'm fine. Okay?"

"Mm… alright. Sorry for worrying so much, and for almost saying too much earlier."

As subtly as they could, the others had stopped what they were doing to listen. More or less satisfied with some kind of explanation for earlier, and now wanting to distract themselves from the couple, they went back to their packing. Maria looked to Maki beside her as the younger girl rolled her eyes.

\- _They could have just said that before instead of going through this extra trouble._

Maria smiled.

\- _Oh just let them have their fun._

Maki just sighed, making Maria laugh. She looked at the bag in her hands and then around at the others, specifically Honoka and Kotori. Despite her mental conversation, she had a sudden powerful urge to spoil the couple's fun.

"I think we got everything we need. Let's get going?"

Everyone agreed and started heading back the way they came. Although slightly disappointed, Kotori and Honoka did as well, shuffling a few last things into their bag as they did so. The maid waited for the others to exit first before she followed. Maki joined her, silently mouthing _thanks_ as she took Maria's hand.

* * *

It had been quiet between the group as they left Dahngrest, save for light conversation here and there. As they reached the edge of Felgana territory though, the lighthearted mood disappeared as everyone started to pay more attention to their surroundings. There was a brief pause to make sure they were ready before they continued, silence taking over except for their footsteps and leaves rustled by the wind.

Aside from the occasional monster, each of which they dispatched with ease, nothing came to oppose them. They didn't relax however, and remained alert the rest of the way. Eventually the scenery started to change. As they continued through waist-high grass, they noticed several large trees, easily twice the size of the ones they had occasionally passed throughout these plains.

"I guess that's the Forever Forest," Kotori stated.

They stopped right before the tree line to the forest, instinctually looking up. If the trees didn't seem huge before, they definitely did now as they reached even higher than they had first thought. Kotori couldn't help but feel a bit impressed, as well as curious as to how this could even be possible. Though, her attention was taken once she felt Honoka's body tremble.

"Are you okay?"

The princess slowly nodded. "I think so. But I've been getting an ominous feeling from deep within the forest, and it's gotten stronger since we've gotten closer."

"Well, at least that means we're on the right track."

"Let's hurry then."

Agreeing with Eli, and taking a moment to recompose themselves, they passed the tree line into the forest. After several minutes of nothing but trees, their path had spread into a more open area. At the far end of the clearing was what appeared to be a wall, while the rest of the area was surrounded by thick layers of trees that were hard to see past with the small amount of light spilling through the treetops overhead. Given the space they had to work with, they decided to search the area to see if they could find any kind of clue to help them.

"You've been staring at the ground for a while now, find anything useful?"

Kotori looked up to see Nozomi walk up beside her.

"Well, I don't know if it's useful, but look." She indicated the spot on the ground she'd been studying. "Doesn't this look a bit odd to you?"

Nozomi knelt down and saw what Kotori meant. There was a line a bit darker in color that ran across. Not just that, but it also came up a bit and disrupted the smooth surface. It looked like the mark that something used to be here but was removed from the ground.

"It definitely doesn't look natural, but what could it mean?"

Kotori shook her head. "I'm not sure. But it starts from there and spread throughout the clearing."

Nozomi looked up, finding the origin point that Kotori had mentioned. Indeed there were several marks like this on the ground, all starting from that point and spreading out seemingly randomly throughout the area. While it didn't make a particular pattern, Nozomi did take note of something she personally found interesting. If she looked at the lines as sections of the area, then Kotori, Rin, Eli, and she were in one section, while Nico, Maki, Umi, and Hanayo were in another, and Maria and Honoka were in another by the strange wall.

Then the ground started to shake violently.

"What, an earthquake?" came Eli's startled voice.

Maki cried out, drawing the others' attention. Near where she and the other three were, another wall had appeared, similar to the one Maria and Honoka were near. As the shaking continued, they witnessed as walls rose from the ground all around them, trapping them in the area.

By this point, having already been on their knees, Kotori and Nozomi lost their balance and weren't in a position to move right away. Maki had fallen backwards, sitting on the ground and did not dare move as the world shook around her. The others either dropped lower or grabbed someone nearby to keep themselves from falling as well. Then their visions of each other were interrupted as walls appeared from the center. The rumbling finally stopped, but it didn't matter anymore.

They were now separated.

* * *

Honoka and Maria had reached for each other amidst the chaos and supported each other. They finally had let go of each other once the shaking stopped, looking around. Honoka approached where two of the walls met the center of the area. Although she knew it was pointless, she pressed her hand against the wall. It felt like the wall she and Maria were previously next to, and felt just as impregnable. She tried one last idea.

_\- "Kotori?"_

-_ "Honoka?" _

Honoka let out a sigh of relief to hear the response in her head.

\- _"Thank goodness. Are you okay?"_

\- _"I'm fine, if not a little annoyed. How about you?"_

\- _"A whole lot better now, that's for sure."_

"Honoka-sama, are you trying to communicate with Kotori?"

The princess nodded as her maid stood beside her. Maria smiled, though felt a little pang in her heart. She wished she could hear from Maki right now. Although the young mage could definitely fend for herself, she still couldn't help but worry, especially since she couldn't communicate mentally like Kotori and Honoka could.

\- _"I wish I could hear her."_

Maria was almost stunned on the spot. That sounded like Maki's voice. But she was sure she didn't hear it, or at least not in the way she knew to be normal. Could it be…

\- _"Maki?"_

For a moment, there was no response. But as Maria got a little discouraged, she heard it.

\- _"M-Maria?"_

Maria released the breath she didn't realize she was holding and her body relaxed all at once. Emotions started rushing through her all at once.

\- _"Yeah… Yeah, it's me, Maki."_

\- _"I can't believe this. Then that means that we-"_

The rest of the sentence never came as she felt the realization from Maki through their bond, and similar feelings of happiness that she had been feeling could now be felt from her partner.

"Maria-chan?"

The maid turned back to the princess, seeing a curious expression from her oldest friend. The princess in turned saw the big smile from her maid, and the realization seemed to click just like that. Though, before she could do anything else, the rumbling started again. The duo looked at the opposite end of their sectioned area as the original wall that had been standing now retreated back into the ground, revealing a new pathway. Once it fully disappeared from view, the rumbling stopped, lasting notably shorter than the last time. With a little bit of dread, Honoka reached into her mind once again.

\- _"Kotori-chan, did a pathway open up for you?"_

\- _"Yeah. Same for you?"_

At that moment, Honoka and Maria looked at each other. The maid nodded, telling the princess everything she needed without a word being said.

\- _"Looks like the same happened for Maki and the others with her as well."_

-_ "Maki? What, does that mean that the two of them-"_

\- _"Yeah, it looks that way."_

"We should probably get moving."

Although it surprised Honoka to hear Maria say that, when the maid gestured down the path, she quickly realized why. Several creatures were slowly approaching them from that pathway. Spiders, hornets, wolves, and probably others that they couldn't immediately see. And they were notably gigantic compared to normal, either as big as them or bigger. Through all this though, a single thought made Honoka smile.

"You know, it's been a while since it was just the two of us alone."

"I was thinking the same thing," Maria said, matching her smile as she drew her revolver.

A bark behind them temporarily drew their attention. There Mimi was, sitting as a dog and looking at them both. It was Honoka who reacted first, unable to stifle a laugh. Maria shook her head while she smirked.

"You're good at interrupting a moment, you know that?" the princess said jokingly to the shapeshifting pet. "How many times is that now?"

"I can't help but feel like she's proud of that fact," Maria joined in, before returning her attention to the still slowly approaching hoard further down the path.

\- _"I'm coming for you Maki."_

\- _"Eh? Maria, wait-"_

\- "_We're going forward to investigate."_

\- _"… Just don't be too reckless."_

\- _"I won't. Love you. And let Nozomi know that Mimi is with us."_

Although not truly, both of them 'ended' their mental conversations as they readied their weapons. Mimi walked between them, having turned into her preferred fighting form of a wolf and taking on a challenging stance.

"Come on, we've got work to do."

Together, the three charged forward at once.

* * *

**Hey everyone, nobodD here!**

**Well we're finally past the story chapters and are about to get back into a little action. I know these weren't the most entertaining last two chapters, but they are definitely important to give some sort of progress for this story and to not have things completely pop out of nowhere. Because trust me, this story has been on and off the tracks a bit too much than it should've been. **

**Anyway, let's touch back on the story. With the party split, we're going to be following each group as they venture deeper into the forest. And if you're paying enough attention to how the groups were split, then you should already know what's about to come up the next few chapters. And each group will get a chapter to their portion of the forest, so everyone gets their time in the spotlight.**

**As an off topic, I should put a disclaimer about how bad my naming is. It sometimes makes me cringe, and I'm the one writing it, haha.**

**Anyway, that's all, until next time~ **


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